Waste Management Policies, Practices, and Public Health Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

ABSTRACT Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and consumerism have driven an unprecedented rise in waste across low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), creating a severe management crisis. Municipal solid waste volumes are 200%–400% above infrastructure capacity, and LMICs are projected to generate over half of global solid waste by 2050. Despite rising volumes, rules and institutions remain inadequate, resulting in widespread open dumping and burning over 90% of disposal in low‐income countries. These practices produce toxic leachates, air pollutants, and disease vectors, disproportionately harming vulnerable communities near unmanaged sites. This systematic review and meta‐analysis (2000–2023) synthesizes 78 studies, including 45 in meta‐analysis, to assess links between waste policies, practices, and public health in LMICs. Findings show strong associations between unsanitary practices and higher disease burdens, including diarrheal diseases (pooled OR 3.1; 95% CI: 2.4–4.0; I 2 = 72%), acute respiratory infections (OR 2.8; 95% CI: 2.2–3.6; I 2 = 65%), and dermatological conditions (OR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.6–2.8; I 2 = 61%). Overall, open dumping and burning raise disease risks 2.1–3.1 times across these domains. Roughly 15 million informal waste workers face severe occupational hazards, including heavy‐metal exposure, injuries, and intergenerational health harms. Case studies from Rwanda, Kerala, and Brazil show that integrated approaches combining regulatory enforcement, community engagement, and circular‐economy infrastructure can cut health burdens by 30%–50% within 5 years. Key barriers include financial constraints, institutional fragmentation, corruption, and exclusion of the informal sector. Policy recommendations stress binding bans on dumping and burning, extended producer responsibility (EPR), formalizing waste pickers, and investing in decentralized, climate‐resilient systems. Future research should prioritize longitudinal impacts of plastic and electronic waste, standardized biomarker surveillance, and governance frameworks that curb corruption and inequities. This review identifies waste management as a modifiable determinant of health in developing countries and underscores the urgency of integrated, evidence‐based reforms to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) 3 and 11.