Sociology of Health and the Environment: The Management of Infectious Medical Waste at the University Hospital (CHU) of Abidjan/Cocody, from Sorting to Incineration, Côte D'ivoire

Abstract— This study aims to draw the attention of actors involved in the management of infectious medical waste to the potential risks posed to human health and the environment. Cocody University Hospital (CHU de Cocody), due to its central role in the healthcare system, was selected as the research site. To achieve the study’s objectives, scientific literature and results from field surveys were mobilized. Our investigations show that the informal and inadequate management of hospital waste at the CHU of Cocody is strongly linked to the neglect of established standards issued by the Ministry of Health as well as socioeconomic constraints. Waste sorting, which should be performed at the source by healthcare staff, is frequently bypassed. This failure greatly complicates the management of infectious medical waste. The repeated breakdowns of the incinerator are largely due to improper sorting practices, resulting in some infectious waste being diverted to landfills. Such waste becomes a source of contamination for soil, air, and both surface and groundwater, posing serious risks to all individuals exposed to it. The research highlights how social actors develop strategies that operate outside formal norms to meet their own interests.