66

Introduction Compliance with procedures, in particular sorting and quantification procedures, remains the basis of the effective management of solid biomedical waste. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the quantification of solid biomedical waste and compliance with management procedures on the reduction of environmental pollution at the university hospital center (CHU) Campus in Togo. Study methods This is a pilot intervention study of the quasi-experimental before–after type. Data collection took place between January 2 and May 2, 2022. It took place at the CHU Campus and involved nine departments, which were selected in a simple random way, three directors and deputy directors, twenty-one department supervisors, and two collection and incineration agents selected by reasoned choice. The data were analyzed by calculating proportions and averages. Results The average quantities of solid biomedical waste (BMW) produced vary from 9.9 kg/month in the Psychiatry Department to 23.4 kg/month in the Neurology Department. Depending on the number of beds per department, these quantities varied from 0.5 kg/month/bed in the Hepato-Gastro-Enterology, Maternity-Gynecology, and Psychiatry departments to 4.7 kg/month/bed in the Traumatology Department & Operating Room. Following the implementation of the intervention concerning compliance with management procedures and the quantification of BMW by department, we noted compliance with sorting procedures at the source, compliance with incineration procedures by the collection agents, a reduction in disease vectors at the sites where they proliferated, and a marked reduction in the volume of BMW to be treated by incineration. In addition, the black smoke that appeared during incinerations, constituting a real inconvenience for residents, turned whitish. Conclusion The continuous practice of quantifying BMW and complying with waste management procedures in CHUs in Togo will make it possible to minimize environmental risks, as well as health risks for service providers, users, and residents.