JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – The Environmental Health division Region F has found several shortcomings within the community relating to environmental health.
These shortcomings can be easily rectified provided that the community takes responsibility for its own health. The Environmental Health section is committed to work with its communities to ensure and maintain a healthy and wealthy environment for all.
A series of articles will follow to form a partnership with the communities so that everyone becomes responsible for their own health and environment.
What is Environmental Health?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines environmental health as those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, biological, social and psycho-social factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling and preventing these factors in the environment that potentially can adversely affect the health of present and future generations (WHO 1993).
The old ‘Health Inspectors’ working mainly for councils formed the bulk of the professionals who practiced environmental health. However over the years the name health inspectors was changed to Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs). EHPs can work for both government and the private sector. In the private sector they tend to specialise in many other functional areas such as occupational safety, occupational health and environmental management to name a few.
EHPs in government usually mainly focus on compliance issues relating to environmental health and health promotion. Some of the compliance issues which the EHPs focus on in government include the following:
• Food control – Ensuring that food premises are licensed and selling good quality food. They also check if food is labelled in the correct way. Sometimes harmful substances put into food is only detected when EHPs sample foodstuffs.
• Disease prevention/control – A lot of diseases are caused by insects and rodents, which are transmitted to humans. Malaria, tick bite fever and rabies are some of these diseases. Therefore the EHPs ensures that insects and rodents are controlled in all areas.
• Waste control – EHPs ensures that waste from households and the industries are disposed of timeously and in the correct method.
• Pollution control – EHPs ensures that nuisances caused by air, water and noise pollution are monitored and controlled. Air pollution can be a major source of ill health especially to the young and aged.
Special Events – Environmental Health Day Celebration
The Environmental Health Practitioners Region F office will be celebrating Environmental Health Day by promoting the services offered by this profession focusing mainly on waste management.
The services provided by Environmental Health Practitioners heightens the visibility, worth and significance of environmental health to the general public, governments and the private sector. The aim is to create a good working relationship with the community in the fight against illegal dumping.
The event will be held on Tuesday September 16 from 10:00 at The Park, on the corner of 11th Street and Rosettenville Road, La Rochelle.
For more information contact the Environmental Health Department 011 681 8060/8056.
