Investigating medical practitioners’ healthcare waste management in Liberian hospitals: a case study of Margibi and Bong counties

Introduction Effective healthcare waste management is crucial for improving hospital safety and services. In African countries, the quality of healthcare waste management largely depends on the knowledge and attitudes of in-site medical practitioners. Among increasing studies on healthcare waste management, relatively little is known about practices in African countries like Liberia. Objective This paper investigates medical practitioners’ perceptions and practices of healthcare waste management in Liberian hospitals. In particular, it examines two major referral hospitals with high patient intake and easy-to-reach areas by donations. Methodology The primary data were collected by administering a questionnaire survey among 200 medical practitioners from October to November 2024. The questionnaire is designed by drawing on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and WHO healthcare waste management guidelines. The analysis was done using Microsoft Excel and STATA 17. Results and discussion The results revealed that 89% of the respondents demonstrated adequate knowledge, but significant barriers existed in terms of compliance. The absence of regular drills was identified by 43% of the respondents. Within hospital premises, 55% reported that the hospital did not have a registration record book for tracking healthcare waste related injuries. About 90% had observed policies for sorting waste into coded color bins, although our field observation found widely varied practices. Confidence in handling infectious waste, including Ebola and COVID-19 materials, was low due to inadequate personal protective equipment. These findings highlight critical gaps between guidelines and actual practices, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to strengthen compliance and safety practices in Liberian hospitals.