This study investigates solid-waste handling practices by municipal waste collectors during COVID-19 pandemic period in Osogbo urban areas with the intention of assessing measures put in place for preventing possible spread of the disease. Data for the study were obtained from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were acquired through questionnaire administration on the 5% of waste collectors selected through snowball technique of chain referral. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Adopted under this technique are cross-tabulation, percentages, index that was used determine waste generation (WGI), and protective material index (PMI) used by waste collectors before and during the lockdown periods. The result showed that rate of waste generation before the pandemic was WGI = 0.69 and during the pandemic was WGI = 0.75. The use of protective materials before COVID-19 was PMI = 2.9 as against (PMI = 3.58) during the lockdown period, with face mask recorded lowest occurrence of use (PMI =  − 2.91). Crude materials that cannot guarantee the safety of waste collectors are used for transfer of waste into disposal vehicle. The study concludes that solid-waste collectors in the study area are not adequately catered for during COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose This study aims to assess the accessibility of women to health-care facilities in the rural areas with a view to unties possible recommendation of enhancing its service delivery. It provides an insight into the levels of satisfaction of the services provided by conventional health-care providers in the area where the majority in the developing countries concentrated. The study unravels the reasons for the low patronage of regular health-care facilities to boost unscientific ones by rural women. Design/methodology/approach The study relies on extensive field work conducted in the study area mainly rural nature. data was sourced by questionnaire, mainly administered on the women in the area and field observation. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings The paper provides information on the low socio-economic attributes of rural women. It is further showed that medical facilities and personnel were not relatively available and performed in health-care centres to the satisfaction of the users. Poor roads, poor human relation, low quality of services, inadequate medical personnel and drug shortage hindrance to women accessing appropriate health-care facilities in the rural areas. Rural women, therefore, opted for self-medication folk medicine, disguising and spiritual remedies. Health-care facilities suffered poor patronage as a result of these obstacles The study recommended proper overhauling of health-care facilities. Originality/value The paper builds a relationship on the reasons for health-care facilities neglect in the rural area in developing countries and revealed unscientific means by which health care needs are realised rural women.