Population growth, urbanisation and economic development have led to the increasing generation of municipal solid waste while environmentally sustainable management remains a challenge the world over. This study sought to investigate health effects associated with proximity to waste collection points in Beitbridge Municipality, Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to compare the occurrence of disease among the residents living within different distances from the waste collection points (50 m, 100 m, 150 m, 200 m, 250 m, 300 m and above 300 m). A handheld GPS device was used to collect coordinates of the location for the purposes of mapping. The Fishers Exact test and the Multiple Logistic Regression model conducted (on STATA V 13 SE) to determine the association between different variables and the occurrence of health effects. Questionnaires were administered to 700 stratified randomly selected respondents. Five refuse collection points and spatial distribution of health conditions were mapped at Dulibadzimu high-density suburb. The overall response rate was 98% and females constituted the majority of respondents (58%). Most of these respondents were aged between 26 and 35 years of age and were involved in informal trading (35%). Reported health conditions were diarrhoea, dyspnoea, dry cough, eye irritation and asthma. Distance, waste collection point, level of education, nature of occupation and sex were significant contributors to the prevalence of health effects associated with exposure to waste. Exposure to waste is a serious health concern in Beitbridge. Local authority is encouraged to abolish these waste collection points and invest more on conventional waste management systems in partnership with different stakeholders.

人口增长，城市化和经济发展导致城市固体废物产生的增加，而环境可持续管理仍然是世界范围内的挑战。这项研究旨在调查与津巴布韦贝特布里奇市废物收集站附近地区有关的健康影响。进行了一项横断面研究，以比较距垃圾收集点（50 m，100 m，150 m，200 m，250 m，300 m和300 m以上）不同距离的居民中疾病的发生。为了绘制地图，使用了手持GPS设备来收集位置坐标。进行了Fishers精确检验和多元Logistic回归模型（在STATA V 13 SE上），以确定不同变量与健康影响发生之间的关联。对700名分层随机选择的受访者进行问卷调查。在杜里巴兹姆高密度郊区绘制了五个垃圾收集点和健康状况的空间分布图。总体答复率为98％，女性占受访者的大多数（58％）。这些受访者中大多数年龄在26至35岁之间，并且参与了非正式交易（35％）。报告的健康状况为腹泻，呼吸困难，干咳，眼睛刺激和哮喘。距离，废物收集点，教育水平，职业性质和性别是造成与废物接触有关的健康影响普遍性的重要因素。在贝特布里奇市，暴露于废物是严重的健康问题。