Prevention from Diseases due to Garbage

Written by: Muhammad Arif Rahimi

Solid waste pollution causes various diseases for humans. AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people and a physician about these diseases and their prevention.

Palwasha, a resident of Kabul city says, “Some people throw their garbage in front of others’ house at night. They throw garbage in front of our house gate too. Flies and mosquitoes suffer us more. One of my sisters became sick due to this garbage. She had fever, body ache and nausea and when the doctor visited her, she was suffering from malaria.”

Jawid Ahmadi, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says, “Some people throw their pollution in front of our house. Last year, it caused me amoeba.”

Doctor Asif Nawaz Zahid, an internist at one of the private hospitals in Kabul city talks about the diseases due to garbage, “Solid pollution causes various diseases like amoeba, malaria, leishmanial, giardia, dysentery, diarrhea, skin and some other diseases.”

What do some people think about the causes of these diseases?

Iqbal Ahmad, a resident of Kabul city says, “Garbage is rotten and decayed materials which have a bad smell and some insects like mosquitoes and flies transmit microbes and parasites from the garbage.”

Farzana says, “There are many flies and other insects in the garbage. Once a mosquito bit my sister and it caused her malaria.”

Doctor Zahid says, “There are many microbes, viruses, and parasites in the garbage and they could be transmitted to the human body in different ways. For example, the direct touch with garbage or transmitting the parasites by insect or wind to foods or water and when a healthy person drinks or eats or drink these contaminated water or food, they might suffer from different diseases.”

How do some people find a solution to this issue?

Iqbal Ahmad says, “People were throwing garbage near houses and in the lanes. The elders of the area decided to transfer the garbage to the dumping ground. They collected 100 Afghanis from each family and rent a truck and transferred the garbage. Now we put garbage in a plastic bag and a track transfers it to the dumping ground and each family pays 100 Afghanis monthly to the truck owner.”

Amanullah Safi, director of the sanitary department, Kabul municipality says, “Our workers collect waste from the trashes and then they transfer and burry them outside the city. This is the duty of every citizen to collect their garbage in a plastic bag and throw it into the trashes put for this purpose in different parts of the city.”