City to honour environmentalists
JOBURG - The environmental health practitioners will be presented with Alfred Nzo Achievement Awards when the City of Johannesburg hold its Environmental Health Conference from 4 to 5 June at Turffontein Racecourse.
The two-day conference will focus on topics such as food safety regulations, global warming and its impact on health, water pollution, informal food traders and vector control, as well as rodent control, among others issues. It will also aim to advance environmental health services in the City of Johannesburg.
Numerous environmental health practitioners, academics, councillors, representatives from neighbouring municipalities and health department management are expected to attend the conference.
Environmental health practitioners nominated for the Alfred Nzo Achievement Awards will make presentations on the research performed around the city, and the environmental health awards will be presented to deserving practitioners.
The City’s environmental health directorate introduced these awards in 2002 in memory of the late activist and politician, Alfred Nzo, who worked as an environmental health inspector in Alexandra.
“The award is given to individuals who have contributed to the transformation of environmental health and have created innovative ideas in the advancement of environmental health services,” said Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development, Nonceba Molwele.
Molwele said the objective of these awards is to promote unity among environmental health practitioners with professionalism and interaction among practitioners, and to encourage them to undertake research and market their findings.
The City’s director for Environmental Health, Peter Manganye said the awards have been given full recognition by several organisations such as the National Department of Health, the South African Institute of Environmental Health and the International Federation of Environmental Health.
“All environmental health practitioners who have innovative ideas or who have done work for the advancement of environmental health within the city have been notified to register for the awards,” Manganye said.
The nominees will receive certificates and the overall winner will receive a trophy.
