NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has launched a major five-year One Health research initiative aimed at addressing the growing threat of heavy metal exposure and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) linked to unmanaged dumpsites in urban centres.
The project, funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), will investigate how toxic heavy metals and drug-resistant microbes from dumpsites affect human health, animal health and the environment.
It brings together researchers from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the University of Nairobi (UoN).
The study will focus on major dumpsites in Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru counties, areas where rapid urbanisation has outpaced effective waste management, leaving communities exposed to serious environmental and public health risks.
Researchers say unmanaged waste has become a silent but persistent source of toxicity, particularly for waste pickers and nearby communities whose livelihoods depend on dumpsites.
“This project will be using a One Health approach whereby we will be collecting samples from humans, animals and the environment around the dumping sites,” said Dr Cecilia Mbae, a researcher at KEMRI.
The One Health approach recognises the interconnectedness of people, animals and ecosystems, making it particularly suited to studying the complex pathways through which heavy metals and microbes move from waste into food chains and human populations.
According to project partners, waste pickers and informal settlers living near dumpsites are at heightened risk of exposure to heavy metals such as lead and mercury, as well as drug-resistant bacteria.
Many, they say, are unaware of the dangers and have suffered long-term health complications, in some cases leading to death.
“We are looking at using this project as an awareness platform so that people know the risks of waste, manage and mitigate them,” said Dr Moses Olum, Deputy Institute Director at KALRO.
“This will allow communities to utilise waste through recirculation while protecting those who live and work around dumpsites.”
Beyond direct exposure, the research will track how microbial material transfers through the food chain.
Livestock that forage at dumpsites can carry harmful microbes, which may then be passed to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat and animal products.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens evolve to withstand medicines designed to kill them, leading to infections that are difficult or impossible to treat.
The World Health Organisation has identified AMR as one of the top global public health and development threats.
Globally, AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and contributed to nearly 5 million deaths overall, according to WHO data.
Through the project, researchers will work closely with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to generate evidence that can inform stronger waste management policies and practices across all 47 counties.
“In our study, we will be referencing standards established by the Kenya Bureau of Standards to determine acceptable levels of heavy metals in products,” Dr Olum added.
The findings are expected to support regulatory action, improve protection for vulnerable communities, and strengthen Kenya’s response to environmental pollution and antimicrobial resistance—two growing challenges with far-reaching implications for public health and sustainable development.
