Abstract
The aim of this paper is to point the Environmental Health (EH) profession in South Africa in the direction of their neglected function. The health inspection of initiation schools is one of the abandoned responsibility of EH profession in South Africa. This is due to fear of interfering with the traditional value systems and thus resulting in significant non-compliance to EH norms and standards. Little information is available on the compliance rate of EH requirements in the African traditional initiation schools. South African National Department of Health states that EHPs have an obligation to protect the health, safety and well-being of citizens from the environmental determinants, and this is achieved through enforcing the health requirements. In terms of the norms and standards for EH, health education in initiation schools should form an integral part of monitoring and evaluation, and this is found under the health surveillance of premises. The main argument raised by this paper is negligence of EHPs to conduct EH inspections at the Basotho male initiation schools and to promote health in support of the constitution of South Africa. Negligence of EHPs to perform their duties result in deaths and fatal injuries among initiates and this indicates the need for health promotion and EH research in the Basotho male initiation schools.
Highlights
A significant aspect addressed in the South African National Department of Health’s agenda is improving the quality of health of all citizens
This paper aims to stimulate the debate and provide a discourse on the deprived environmental health (EH) practices that lead to serious health conditions and adoption of undesired public health practices in the Basotho male initiation schools
This paper asserts that environmental health practitioners (EHPs) should be allowed to exercise their full responsibilities, without interference, fear or favour of traditional principles, at the initiation schools in order to protect the health and safety of initiates and substantially reduce avoidable deaths that occur due to significant non-compliance with EH practice
Summary
This is a province that is dominated by the Basotho culture, tradition, values and system of believes that embrace traditional circumcision. Among the Basotho, the circumcision ceremonies are performed only at the end of the initiation process when young men return from the mountains to celebrate their manhood During these ceremonies, cognisance is not taken of issues pertaining to EH, due to either negligence of EHPs to enforce health requirements or restriction by traditional rules. Involvement of south African government in the traditional initiation practices The South African government makes provision for employing EHPs to enforce, monitor and evaluate health requirements in initiation schools This is done to strengthen the preventative health system in the country; their visibility and the performance of their duties still pose a challenge. Provision of emergency mobile medical facilities is a responsibility of the health department, and this usually happen when there is an emergency and initiates need to be referred to a nearby health facility
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