38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns
38. Waste disposal and clean-up campaigns
Last update: 2022-09-14
Overview
- Rubbish can attract rodents and create a breeding area for flies and mosquitoes.
- Animal faeces near houses and in the village increase the number of flies and insects that carry germs, cause diseases and contaminate water sources.
What you need to know
- Animal faeces around houses and in the village attract and multiply the flies and insects that carry germs, cause diseases and contaminate water sources.
- Mosquitoes (which carry malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever) breed in standing water.
- Rubbish should be burned or buried.
- Vegetation should be cleared from river banks and ponds near the village.
- The area around water sources (pumps, wells) should be kept clean.
Tell community members how important it is to keep their community clean. Organize regular clean-up campaigns. Include houses and latrines, etc.
What you can do
- Work with traditional and political leaders, the village health committee and other community partners to decide what needs to be cleaned up and how to go about it.
- Help to organize activities on agreed “clean-up” days.
- Ask community leaders to organize volunteer groups for each clean-up initiative.
- Organize special clean-up days in which all members of the community participate (twice a year or more often if possible).
- Organize a community initiative to plan and create a central garbage disposal area.
Motivate and support the community to work together to:
- Keep the community free of animal faeces.
- Keep the community free of puddles and other mosquito breeding sites.
- Keep the community free of rubbish and garbage (by burning or burying it).
- Clean the areas around water sources (such as pumps and wells).
- Create and maintain water soak pits around water sources.
Make sure to dispose of waste properly.
This will help to protect the community from germs.
This will help to protect the community from germs.