BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCN) has received legal backing on two operational documents, meant to enhance and sustain environmental health practise in the country.
The documents are EHCN service charter and gazetted practitioners register, just as the customised seal, rank badges, as well as communication materials were also added to enhance the services rendered by the professionals.
Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi stated this in Abuja at the recently concluded 3-day National Environmental Health Business Forum, organised by EHCN with the theme, "Developing Sustainable Environmental Health Business Model in Support of Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Drive".
He stated that the seal for practitioners and gazetted names of operators in environmental health sector could be verified anywhere in the country.
The minister said that every professional must work within the stipulated guidelines and standards, especially on issues pertaining to climate change.
He listed unsafe water, poor hygiene and sanitation, disease vectors, chemical hazards, injuries and accidents as the major cause of mortality rate in Africa.
According to the minister, "World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that environmental health is assigned with the responsibility of preventing diseases, death and disabilities by reducing exposure, adverse environmental conditions and promoting behavioural change."
Mohammed further disclosed that the federal government had in the last two decades, facilitated the growth of the profession, adding that the ministry made the sector more viable and flourishing due to its involvement in reducting diseases in the sector.
He said, "It is expedient to know that the success of the profession is in the hands of the professionals, who should work towards making it thrive."
The minister advised professionals on the need to develop a sustainable framework that would create job opportunities within environmental health value chain.
In her goodwill message, the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska commended the Nigerian government for creating awareness on the benefits of environmental health, adding that, ‘’We all live under one sky and everything that happens around the planet impacts greatly on us equally and impacts our health’’.
She was optimistic that the participants would reap the benefits of the event, saying that she was proud to be associated with the health forum.
Also speaking, a representative from Sudan Embassy, Mr. Mohammed hoped that the forum would bring the much needed change on how to address environmental health issues.
He appreciated the warm reception accorded to him by the organisers.
On his part, the representative of the WHO, Dr. Edwin-Isotu Edeh said that 30 percent of disease is related to risk factors from the environment, adding that "We cannot talk about sustainability in the era of climate change without looking at the two important components in the environment such as: social inclusion and the economy."
He further stated that, "The economic value chain component is very key to this programme and it will open access to business models that can create jobs and reduce unemployment’’.
The National President of Environmental Health Association of Nigeria (EHOAN), Sanitarian Jamilu Shuaib advised professionals to harness the benefits of the forum and avoid over–dependence on the public service.
“We want a situation where we compliment the efforts of the government and environmental health service which had two major contributions in this regard”.
Shuaibu said, “A good environment is a healthy environment, which will in turn improve the economy because what is considered as a waste to us, is actually raw materials to them."
Lending his voice, the National president of Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN), Mr. Kunle Williams stated that the forum would help the industry to introduce initiatives that would make the environment a better place.
In his address, the Registrar of EHCN, Dr. Yakubu Baba said that the objective of the forum was to create the enabling environment for the private sector to participate and invest in environmental health, adding that environmental health is a serious business, as investment in the sector is huge.
He said that the council would from time to time publish the list of the members of the profession to enable the public to be conversant with environmental health practitioners in Nigeria.
These were contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Director of Public Affairs, EHCN, Mr Kehinde Openibo in Abuja over the weekend.
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