YESTERDAY, at the time of the writing of this column, a workmate of my wife was laid to rest. From what I was told, he was a genuinely nice person.  The cause of death was leptospirosis, a fact that was initially shocking to me. I wish to extend to his family my profound condolences.
Four out of five people that I’ve spoken to only associate leptospirosis with the floods of 2005, when the disease came to prominence due to multiple deaths that occurred as a consequence of people coming into contact with the flood waters which helped the disease – which is found in the faeces of rats – to spread easily.
Six years ago, a natural disaster, flooding, created probably the most dramatic public health crisis this country has ever seen.  I try to imagine, God forbid, what the situation would be like were a similar event to occur and the picture that comes to mind is not a good one.
I should say at this point that any pronouncement I make is not in my capacity as a public health official.  That disclaimer dealt with, I believe that it is basic commonsense to see a potential public health disaster in the most recent phenomenon that seems to be gripping Guyana today – unfettered and widespread garbage disposal.
Before I get into the particulars of the refuse situation in our cities, I’d like to give some perspective on what happens when waste disposal is not properly looked after.  During the mediaeval era in Europe, garbage was disposed of in the streets wantonly, and any sort of solid waste disposal programme was non-existent.  The Wikipedia entry on the Bubonic Plague during that era, commonly referred to as ‘The Black Death’, notes:
“From there it was probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe’s population, reducing world population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century. The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe’s population to recover.”

Travelling through Georgetown it  is increasingly noticeable, particularly I would say over the past two or three months, is the appearance of more and more spontaneous ‘dump sites’.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s a residential area, a slum, an empty lot, or the side of a roadway, what starts out as a couple Styrofoam boxes and some plastic bags grow over the course of a week or two into a full-fledged mini-Mandela dump site.
Now, I’m aware of the issues surrounding the Georgetown City Council, and the politics of it and I refuse to touch upon that – I’ve said it before and I will say it again, there are certain issues that should transcend partisan political interests, and the potential public health catastrophe that the poor solid waste management of the municipality is one of them.
But this isn’t about the politicians, this is about the people who are turning Georgetown into a dumpsite in the first place.  Every single person who disposes of waste in a place that they are not supposed to dispose of it is knowingly contributing to this problem. 
Now I can see how this thing can grow in some cases – say there is an open patch of ground and one person decides to throw some garbage there.  Someone passes in a car and has some food boxes and sees the garbage and says to themselves, let me just go through them here since garbage is there already; the same thing happens with someone walking past drinking a soft drink.  In that case, I can see the need for a system of public education and maybe even designated waste disposal areas, complete with the proper facilities, like the dumpsters that you see in every single movie or series set in New York City.
That said, I believe the problem goes deeper than ignorance and following a pattern.  Looking at how people have been getting rid of their waste of recent, it is clear that a profound disrespect and disregard for each other is the driving force behind this.  I’ve seen, for example, people put up a “No Dumping” sign on their property and months after it’s erected, there is a growing pile of refuse behind it.  People knowingly take their private garbage and dump it in front of other people’s properties in some other neighbourhood – unscrupulous businessmen pay vagrants to take their waste away from their businesses without any concern to where it eventually ends up.  I’ve seen these ‘dump sites’ fester around schools and close to the Lamaha Canal which feeds into our water supply system.
This sort of attitude is short-sighted and frankly stupid.  We live in a small society, and while you may believe that you are not being affected when you engage in that type of activity, the sort of public health disaster that accompanies poor solid waste disposal does not discriminate: it doesn’t matter if you live in Bel Air or Albouystown, if you drive a Mercedes Benz to work or if you ride a bicycle.  Communicable diseases associated with improper solid waste disposal – like leptospirosis or the bubonic plague – hit hard, hit fast, and reach epidemic stage quickly, and what starts off in all appearances as a flu or a slight cough could easily turn fatal in a matter of days, regardless of your neighbourhood or pay cheque.
Usually, in this column I like to offer practical solutions to whatever issue I may highlight and there may be several long-term fixes to ensure that our solid waste management improves and evolves over time.  That said, even as the political back and forth goes on, I strongly believe that we need a general cultural change in order to deal with this issue, not stopgap measures that don’t get to the root of the problem. In concluding, I wish to appeal to all Guyanese who may have an urge to throw that cup or bag on the street or open area please! don’t do it. Instead, take your refuse to the nearest disposal medium and dispose of it properly; it can one day save our lives.