Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners educate communities in celebration of World Environmental Health Day

For immediate release
6 October 2022

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations as a worldwide call-to-action, to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity now and in the future. Environmental Health plays an essential role in the implementation of these SDGs.

As World Environmental Health Day was celebrated on 26 September 2022, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) from Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) also contributed to this world-wide initiative and rolled out awareness and education campaigns in the Mossel Bay, Klein Karoo and Bitou areas. This year’s theme was “Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”.

Mossel Bay

EHPs from the GRDM Municipal Health office in Mossel Bay, embarked on a campaign to educate the community of Mossel Bay about environmental health issues that could affect their health and overall well-being.

The team informed communities on why and where to report health violations and what individuals can do to minimise risks relating to their health. To demonstrate these risks, a short video clip was played at the D’Almeida and Asla Clinics in the area with the help of Carin Olwagen, a registered Psychological Counsellor at the D’Almeida Clinic.

While the team distributed pamphlets in the area as part of the campaign activities, they also explained the purpose of the Environmental Health function to community members.

In closing, containers were placed at both clinics, to allow the public to insert and report any complaints in relation to health violations. Complainants also have the option to do this anonymously. Over two hundred (200) pamphlets were distributed during the campaign.

Bridgton, Oudtshoorn

The EHPs from the GRDM’s Municipal Health office in Oudtshoorn, collaborated with the Environmental Officer and Cleansing Services section of the Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality to roll out a clean-up and awareness activity regarding illegal waste dumping in Oudtshoorn. The programme was rolled out to ensure clean and hygienic conditions in the community of Old-Bridgton.

The clean-up operation was done by Oudtshoorn Municipality’s Cleansing Services section and the activities involved the collection of illegally dumped waste, sweeping streets in the neighbourhood, as well as the transport and disposal of waste at the Grootkop waste landfill site. A health awareness and education campaign was essential to ensure sustainability during this waste clean-up project. EHPs from the GRDM’s Oudtshoorn office conducted door-to-door education and awareness in the illegal dumping hotspot areas to inform the public of the health risks posed by illegal waste sites in the community.

Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants, appointed by the local municipality, are trained by EHPs as peer educators and were utilised to assist them with door-to-door awareness and education activities.

The team further collaborated with different community stakeholders and role-players (e.g. church leaders) and the local municipality to develop appropriate health education material and different methodologies e.g. pamphlets, posters, fridge magnets etc. to conduct health and hygiene awareness and education.

The discussions of the campaign included the following:

• Health risks of illegal dump sites which attract vectors like mice, rats, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches etc. This in turn, spreads communicable diseases such as encephalitis, dengue fever, leptospirosis etc. Furthermore, toxic releases from illegal dumpsites lead to respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Children sometimes play at the sites and step on broken glass, nails and sharp  objects – in some cases this can be fatal.
• The correct way to manage waste in black bags, rubbish bins or skips for garden waste.
• Where illegal dumping can be reported at the local municipality.
• Waste removal arrangements on public holidays.

Through this initiative 140 households were reached.

An open space that was previously used as a dumping site is now planned to be used by the community as netball and cricket fields.

To measure the success of this initiative, monitoring and evaluation of areas will be done by the GRDM team, to determine the impact of the campaign performed by the EHPs and EPWP workers.

Bitou

Bitou’s EHPs  visited the Kranshoek Primary School to inform learners and educators on what Environmental Health function entails (Scope of Practise).  The team also explained all the nine (9) Municipal Health key performance areas in detail.

In addition, they conducted and presented a hand-wash activity to the learners and explained to them what the proper techniques of washing hands are and the importance of clean hands for ones health. All learners showed their eagerness and enjoyed the activities during the session. The principal extended a word of gratitude to the team and thanked them for their role in educating the communities of the Kranshoek area.

Did you know?

Municipal Health Services is defined in the National Health Act, 2003 include the following Key Performance Areas: Water Quality Monitoring, Food Control, Solid Waste Management, Health Surveillance of Premises, Supervision and Prevention of Contagious Diseases (excluding Immunization), Vector Control, Environmental Pollution Control, the Disposal of Human Remains and the Safe handling of Chemical Substances. (This excludes port health, malaria control and control of hazardous substances. The above-mentioned aspects are mentioned in the Scope of Environmental Health Practitioners).

Environmental Health Practitioners have a statutory obligation to protect the health of the present and the future generations as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

ENDS