Rubbers everywhere....it's a global health issue!

Sachet of water

 "Rubber" is what they often call plastic bags here in Ghana. In the market, at the stores, and for take away bags it is offered and widely used, just like back home. Here, even water comes in bags that are bitten off at an end to drink. One bag of safe drinking water probably holds about 500 mL. With the heat and amount I sweat here, I go through about 5 - 7 of these bags a day on my own. Once I have emptied them into my reusable water bottle, the bag goes in the garbage can.

Now from this can, where does all this "rubber" go? First, let me take you on a little observational summary of our travel journey thus far. As you know, we landed in Accra - huge city, people everywhere, markets, vendors on the streets, individuals balancing heavy weights of water or food or snacks on their heads in great big bowls and walking between traffic with incredible skill. It was a lot to take in initially, especially after 30+ hours of travel.

From Accra, we drove to Cape Coast to stop in Elmina, and then stayed in Kumasi overnight.  Throughout the drive, I gazed out the windows of our Van, feeling the hot air dance along my cheeks, dust splashing my skin, all sorts of smells awakening my nose, and noticing the changes in landscape. I observed the open spaces, crammed ally ways, and run off drainage systems along the drive. I looked out at the spider-like trees, they way people were interacting with their surroundings and nature, the way animals were roaming about and scavenging for food. 

Spider (boabab) tree

Among other things, what stuck out to me along this ride was "rubber". Plastic lay in all kinds of areas: in the middle of open fields, in large heaps in the forest or water, next to children playing, along roads, and at our feet when we would step out. Throughout the rest of our travels (from Tamale to Mole National Park and Larabanga, to Bolgatanga, I continued to make note of the "rubber" and where it was gathered. 

Roadside Rubber

As we left Kumasi, Larabanga, and the more rural communities we have been involved in near Bolga, I noticed that the streets seemed well cared for with fewer garbage visible out and about.

Forest Rubber

Some of our Ghanaian colleagues and friends express their frustration regarding the lack of efficient garbage disposal in Ghana and in dealing with garbage. Some state, "kids see how their parents dispose of waste or see others do it and think it is okay to just throw anywhere or leave for someone else to clean up" or "people just do not care because there are no resources". 

How do we shift the attitudes and culture towards improving waste disposal? Similar to our blog on TTH, I wonder if there is a sense of apathy towards caring for the earth because of the continuous lack of resources. Many people are simply trying to survive living in poverty or are focused on other pressing global health issues like education and access to healthcare.

Kids playing football

During our two weeks in Tamale, we began to see heaps of plastics and papers near markets, dwellings, trees, and even near water sources. This included pop bottles, cans, glass, and any garbage really. Up the street from where we stayed in Tamale, we saw children playing football (soccer) each evening once the air cooled slightly. Bare foot and determined, they skillfully maneuvered over concrete patches, squished plastic bottles, bottle caps, and "rubber". 

Now why is all this waste polluting the natural spaces of Ghana? In many Ghanaian cities, there is no working waste collection system. So even if you choose to collect it, what do they do with all the garbage? It is burned. From our many Ghanaian friends and colleagues, we have been informed that this is the only option they have. Burn it or put it on the ground. 

Waste management is an essential health service and pollution is a global environmental health issue. This impacts everyone everywhere in small and large ways. Do you know what happens to your garbage when you put it in your can? Yes, maybe a garbage truck picks it up, but now what? it goes to the landfill. And then what? It sits in the ground contaminating water and soil, generates methane gas, which contributes to climate changes and air pollution, which impacts our health and future.

Rural Village - Less Rubber

Nyoboko - Less Rubber

 How do we keep cities healthy and habitable, so that people and the surrounding living environment can not just survive, they can thrive? Plastic pollution is not a Ghanaian issue, it is a global issue, that has implications for all of us.

Now, there are "waste pickers" out there, people who collect and clean up garbage, making an impact, cleaning up communities and natural spaces. However, approximately 840, 000 tons of plastic waste is generated in Ghana per year, now that is just plastic, and these waste pickers cannot keep up. The tons of waste generated daily results in littering and garbage overflowing the water run off systems. This contributes to the creation of standing water, which can be a breeding ground for vector born illnesses like malaria and cholera. How do we even begin to recycle all of that plastic waste? Is recycling the answer to the plastic pollution issue? By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans if we do not begin to take collective and immediate action.

It is possible....rural Ghana

I would like to question the plastic creators. Is it ethical for companies to be supplying goods packaged in plastics to countries that have no means of dealing with the waste? When I reflected on this thought, neoliberalism came to mind (an ideology we discussed in our preparatory advanced global health course). These companies do not care about the impact of their products or its packaging, they care about profits, about themselves; it is every person for themselves.  Right?

Wrong. The lives of those impacted by climate change, by pollution, by plastic wastes matter.

Not only that, the ecosystems and living things being harmed by our actions matter. This is not a Ghanaian issue; this is a global issue. Nature is screaming at us to stop and make changes, to care for one another and the planet that we call home. The question is not whether you will listen, it is whether you will do: will you take action, and will those in positions of power lead?

It's a global health issue....

Posted by Katrina BSN Student