Environmental Health Officers Research Articles

Perspectives of environmental health officers on climate change adaptation in Australia: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Aim Climate change adaptation is critical for reducing and preventing many community health risks. The Environmental Health Profession has decades of experience of effective interventions for reducing and preventing many community health risks. However, in Australia adaptation is not included in the profession’s scope of practice leaving the community health at risk to climate change. The aim of this study was to assess the perspectives of Australian Environmental Health Officers concerning climate change health adaptation and whether this should be included in their role. Subject and methods Eighty-nine (89) eligible participants undertook a mixed method survey between November 2021 and January 2022. These participants were members of Environmental Health Australia and held a relevant degree in environmental health. The questions on the survey were related to six themed items: (1) climate change and health, (2) climate change adaptation, (3) the profession’s role in capacity building for adaptation, (4) hurdles for building adaptive capacity, (5) health awareness as a bridging concept and finally, (6) disaster risk reduction. Results The findings from this study indicate that the majority of participants were concerned for their community health from climate change impacts. A system thinking approach is required to effectively address and understand complex health risks. There was also an overwhelming support for the profession to integrate approaches of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in health. However, the environmental health profession is facing some significant hurdles to building adaptive capacity to climate change. Conclusion This study demonstrates the environmental health profession does want to have a role in climate change adaptation in Australia. These findings, with further qualitative research, could bolster the preventive public health approach in building community health resilience to climate change and related disasters.

An innovative and meaningful scaffolded curriculum approach to Environmental Health education in Western Australia

There has been a critical shortage of qualified Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) both globally and in Australia that has plagued the profession for decades. At Edith Cowan University (ECU), Perth, Western Australia, an undergraduate degree in Environmental Health (EH) was developed in 2006, however, viability was problematic, and the course was under threat of closure. In 2016 both the EH and occupational safety and health (OSH) majors were due for re-accreditation and since there was significant overlap between the two courses both majors were revised and combined into one (Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety). This new qualification has subsequently been accredited by Environmental Health Australia (EHA), as well as the Australian OHS Education Accreditation Board (AOHSEAB) and the British Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The new dual accredited course has had excellent graduate outcomes and provides graduates with the flexibility to move between traditional OHS and EH roles. In some smaller local governments, and in industry, ECU graduates have been employed to work in both roles. The curriculum was developed in consultation with industry and has an embedded year-long diploma course that consists of eight units (subjects/courses) that prepare graduates to work in a support role to EHOs. The Diploma of Environmental Health course is a scaffolded course that is embedded in the degree, and it has been recognized by the State Government as a qualification leading to appointment as authorized officers under the Public Health Act 2016 (WA). The diploma is more than a pathway course as it is a stand-alone qualification that leads to gainful employment. Most students now enroll in the diploma, initially and gain employment as a Technical Officer, and then progress on to complete the EH degree on a part-time basis while employed in the profession. The diploma is also an exit option for students who struggle with the academic requirements of some of the more traditionally difficult units such as physics, chemistry, and statistics and the EH degree is now a viable university course with excellent graduate employment outcomes.

'Acceleration' of the food delivery marketplace: Perspectives of local authority professionals in the North-East of England on temporary COVID regulations.

In January 2021, we assessed the implications of temporary regulations in the United Kingdom allowing pubs and restaurants to operate on a takeaway basis without instigating a change of use. Local authorities (LAs) across the North-East of England were unaware of any data regarding the take-up of these regulations, partially due to ongoing capacity issues; participants also raised health concerns around takeaway use increasing significantly. One year on, we repeated the study aiming to understand the impact of these regulations on the policy and practice of key professional groups. Specifically, we wanted to understand if LAs were still struggling with staff capacity to address the regulations, whether professionals still had public health trepidations, and if any unexpected changes had occurred across the local food environment because of the pandemic. We conversed with 16 public health professionals, planners and environmental health officers across seven LAs throughout the North-East of England via focus groups and interviews. Data collated were analysed via an inductive and semantic, reflexive-thematic approach. Through analysis of the data, three themes were generated and are discussed throughout: popular online delivery services as a mediator to increased takeaway usage; potential long-term health implications and challenges; continued uncertainty regarding the temporary regulations. This paper highlights important changes to local food environments, which public health professionals should be aware of, so they are better equipped to tackle health inequalities across urban and sub-urban areas.

An Investigation into the Prevalence of Methamphetamine Related Enquiries to Local Government Environmental Health Officers.

Methamphetamine contamination of residential properties remains a serious public health concern for members of the public. External stakeholders including Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and testing and remediation technicians are engaged on investigating whether contamination has occurred from manufacturing or smoking processes. More specifically, local council EHOs are responsible for managing clandestine drug laboratories when notified by police and also for responding to public enquiries. However, the full scope of these contaminated properties is not seen by any single stakeholder, making it very challenging to quantify these situations. To evaluate the prevalence of methamphetamine related enquiries from the general public to EHOs, this study surveyed and interviewed officers from around Australia. It was found that public enquiries were infrequent with only 6% of respondents having received enquiries in the last month, which indicates that people are seeking information from other sources. Interestingly, there were case study scenarios that also mentioned issues with awareness and the flow of information. Concerns regarding difficult cases, police notifications, and site visits were also highlighted. The results of this study provide a benchmark of how methamphetamine related cases are managed and highlight the need for trustworthy information that is available to EHOs, governments, industry members, and the public in a unified location.

Food safety knowledge and practices among raw meat handlers and the microbial content of raw meat sold at Kumasi Abattoir Butchery Shops in Kumasi, Ghana

BackgroundFoodborne diseases affect nearly 600 million people each year, that is, one in every ten people, and their outbreaks are most common in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa. This study investigated the food safety practices among raw meat handlers and the microbial quality of the meat from the butchery shops in Kumasi Abattoir, Ghana.MethodsThis study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study and collected quantitative data on factors associated with food safety and hygienic practices among raw meat handlers and the microbial quality of the raw meat using a structured questionnaire and standard laboratory methods, respectively. The study used all 50 beef vending shops in the butchery for questionnaire aspect and fresh beef samples were obtained from 10 vendors in the butchery shop. Appropriate methods were followed to analyse questionnaire data and meat samples.ResultsMost of the butchers (72%) were between the ages of 31 and 45, and they were predominantly Muslims (68%). Most of the respondents (48%) had basic education. All the respondents had food safety certificates from the local authority but needed adequate knowledge of meat safety. Most respondents (90%) handled meat and money with the same bare hands, thus contaminating the meat. The study showed that the maximum Total Viable Count (TVC), Total Staphylococcus Count (TSC), and Total Escherichia coli Count (TEC) were 5.60, 4.39 and 5.13 cfu/g, respectively. The study also revealed that all the meat samples were Salmonella species-free.ConclusionsMicroorganisms in raw beef indicate a public health hazard. It gives a signal of a possible occurrence of food-borne intoxication and infection if not controlled. Environmental health officers in the Greater Kumasi area should organize food safety training and educate raw meat handlers on the importance of food safety and its consequences.

Analysis of Thermophilic and Halophilic Bacteria in Traditonally Processed Locust Beans Sold in Ekiti and Kwara State, Nigeria.

Locust beans is one of the most essential condiment and ingredient of any soup in Nigeria. Many household and eateries make use of this condiment on daily basis, considering its taste and addition to every soup, coupled with its health benefit. Being a natural ingredient, some medical practitioner had successfully convince their patient to abstain from many other artificial soup ingredient and stick to locust beans for their food. The Process and preservation of this locust beans involves cooking, drying and salting, which ordinarily should have killed every bacterial in the process, though, this is subject to further verification. Heating and salting is one of the oldest food preservation methods, which is usually regarded as a technique to control microbial activity. It is important to be able to estimate the risk of undesirable microorganism growth, halophilic pathogens such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus at low temperature and thermophilic bacteria Bacillus sp. that survive the pasteurization procedure, thereby called for this studies on isolation of thermophilic bacterial and halophilic bacteria from locally fermented food. The objective of this study is to identify the possible thermophiles and halophiles from the traditionally processed locust beans sample collected from Ekiti and Kwara State. Considering the similarities and peculiarities in the processing and preservation period and method of locust beans in the two different states, it becomes necessary to examine the possible influence of this peculiarities on the presence of the two bacterial in question (thermophilic and halophilic), which makes it a comparative analysis. The study assessed the bacteria isolates in locally fermented locust beans in Ekiti and Kwara State, through descriptive research of the experimental design. Locust beans with salt and without salt were collected and the identification of the bacterial isolates were done by standard microbiological methods. Result revealed that the bacterial isolated includes: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus mundtii, Acinetobacter iwofii and Acetobacter aceti. The identified isolated bacterial were very similar as regard the two different samples from the two states (Kwara and Ekiti). Where Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus mundtii have the highest frequency of occurrence 31.8% Acinetobacter iwofii have 22.7% and Acetobacter aceti have the lowest occurrence of 13.6 %. Also, studies revealed that a wide range of thermophilic and halophilic organisms are found in food. The study concluded that locally processed locust beans though preserved by heat and salt still contains some microbes that are deleterious to human health as well as the environment. It was therefore recommended base on the findings, that the locust beans be better preserved by freezing. In this wise, thermophiles that cannot survive in a temperature below 200C will die while the presence of halophiles which is added by salt as one of the most common preservation method will be prevented. Regular factory and market inspection should be encouraged by regulators such as environmental health officers, to ensure good hygiene in processing the locust bean.

Development and piloting of One Health curriculum in Jordan.

In Jordan, several steps have been done to implement One Health (OH) approach. To increase the awareness for OH concept and approach among health professionals, there was an apparent need to develop an OH curriculum or package to orientate human, animal, and environmental health officials and professionals. The aim of this study was to describe the development and piloting of a OH curriculum for human, animal, and environmental officials and professionals in Jordan. OH curriculum was developed and consisted of four chapters/sections, each of which contained series of power point presentations that covered subject thoroughly and met the learning objectives for each section. Four day workshops on OH curriculum were done for four cohorts of participants from different OH partners. Each section started and ended with a quick knowledge assessment consisting of multiple choice questions (MCQs) (pre- and post-chapter). Comparison of the pre- and post-chapter knowledge assessment scores/results were used to assess gain of knowledge after each section of OH curriculum was completed. The scores of correct answers were compared within the different cohorts using Pearson's chi-square test with p-values ≤0.05 considered significant. Of the total attendance, pre- and post- training quizzes were scored for 102 participants (816 quizzes). Pre-training scores for the different cohorts ranged from 29% to 36%, while post-training scores for the different cohorts ranged from 80% to 87%. Post-training correct answers scores were significantly higher than those were for pre-training scores for the different cohorts (p < 0.05). Percentage of knowledge gain ranged from 41% to 62% for the first section, 34% to 47% for the second section, 41% to 55% for the second section, and 48% to 60% for the fourth section. Average percentage of knowledge gain for the first, second, third, and fourth cohorts were 51%, 53%, 47%, and 47%, respectively, and was 50% for all cohorts. The developed OH curriculum improved different OH partners and officials understanding of the OH concept and approach.

When should DIY have a localized healthcare waste management system?

Purpose: The 2018 healthcare waste management crisis catalyzed a critical review of the concerns expressed by the Health Office (dinkes) and healthcare facilities regarding healthcare waste management in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). Due to this crisis, the Ministry of Health hired Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) to look into potential solutions and promote DIY government policy responses. This paper examines the management strategy during crisis times and possible alternative solutions.&#x0D; Methods: This paper uses focused group discussions reports involving separate groups of (1) environmental health officials from community health centers, (2) hospitals, (3) environment health officials of district health authorities, and (4) cross-sectoral province officials in the Yogyakarta Special Region. It is part of a project 'A case study of strengthening regional-based medical waste management model', fund from the Environmental Health Directorate, Directorate General of Public Health, Ministry of Health (Project KN 01.03/6.1/0198/2019).&#x0D; Result: A simulation of policy options based on health facility managers suggests that a province-based system is the most profitable in the long term for DIY, with several possible options. The national policy roadmap was considered inadequate to respond to DIY's urgent local needs. Furthermore, the series of meetings succeeded in forming an informal forum between health facilities, provincial health offices, and associations of hospital environmental sanitation experts, monitoring medical waste management.&#x0D; Conclusion: The 2018 medical waste management crisis led to the formulation of policy response choices tailored to the capacity of DIY. These choices considered the expenditures and legal sanctions faced by healthcare facilities and the economic value of a region-based waste system for local government authorities. This comprehensive approach highlights the importance of local capacity. It needs to shape effective and sustainable medical waste management policies, underscoring the necessity of region-specific strategies in the face of national health crises.

Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and safety practices of aesthetic laser hair removal providers in British Columbia

Aesthetic laser hair removal (LHR) has gained global popularity. Guidelines are present to assist LHR operators in safely providing their services, however, there is a need for prescriptive measures in the regulations that govern Personal Service Establishment (PSE), which Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) enforce. Inadequate training can lead to improper use of the LHR device, which can cause various injuries or disorders to both the clients and the operator. Practitioners must be sufficiently trained and educated on the risks, hazards, and safety measures required to provide LHR services adequately. Therefore, LHR providers should be assessed to determine any discrepancies in safety knowledge.

Can Smartphones with External Microphones Be Used in Place of Sound Level Meters?

Sound and noise are two sides of the same coin, around us during our daily lives. Excessive noise is listed as a public health concern and is one of the most common environmental and occupational exposures. Many municipalities in BC enacted Bylaws to regulate noise, which are enforced by Bylaw Officers and Environmental Health Officers (EHOs).&#x0D; Noise complaints are addressed by conducting measurements with approved and standardized Commercial Sound Level Meters (SLMs). Smartphone technology has progressed rapidly in the past decade, including the use of external microphones. Studies have been conducted on their use, however, the effects of their use have yet to be fully assessed.

An Improved Shallow Water Temperature Model for An Australian Tidal Wetland Environment Using Publicly Available Data

Larval mosquito development is directly impacted by environmental water temperature. Shallow water less than 1 m deep is a common larval mosquito habitat. Existing mathematical models estimate water temperature using meteorological variables, and they range in complexity. We developed a modification of an existing one-layer heat balance model for estimating hourly water temperature and compared its performance with that of a model that uses only air temperature and water volume as inputs and that uses air temperature itself as an indicator of water temperature. These models were assessed against field measurements from a shallow tidal wetland—a known larval habitat—in southwest Western Australia. We also analysed publicly available measurements of air temperature and river height to determine whether they could be used in lieu of field measurements to allow cost-effective long-term monitoring. The average error of the modified version of the heat balance equation was −0.5 °C per hour. Air temperature was the second-best performing method (x¯ error = −2.82 °C). The public data sources accurately represented the onsite water temperature measurements. The original heat balance model, which incorporates a parameterisation of evaporative heat flux, performed poorly in hot, dry, windy conditions. The modified model can be used as an input to larval mosquito development models, assisting Local Government Environmental Health officers to determine optimal mosquito development periods and the timing of mosquito monitoring activities to enhance mosquito control.

The dimensional structure of the barriers to research utilization experienced by Environmental Health Officers in Canada

Background The purpose of this study was to explore the dimensional structure of the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) responses to the BARRIERS Scale from data collected in 2012 and 2020 to: (1) uncover new holistic ways of interpreting the factors influencing research utilization (RU); and (2) apply a theoretical lens to the data. Methods Principal Component Analysis was used to analyze the dimensional structure of the 2012 data and develop a structural equation model (SEM). The resultant factors were categorized using the Active Implementation Frameworks (AIFs). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was applied to the SEM using the 2020 data. Results A four factor solution was identified and the resultant SEM aligned with the following AIFs: Competency Drivers, Useful Innovations, Leadership Drivers, and Organization Drivers. The SEM was found to explain 52% of the loading variation, capturing a satisfactory amount of information from the dataset. The SEM was analyzed for goodness of fit using 2020 data and it showed a statistically sound but imperfect fit. Conclusions These four factors provide a useful way to understand and mitigate barriers to RU in EHO practice. Three of the factors align with the Implementation Drivers Framework (Competency Drivers, Leadership Drivers, and Organization Drivers) and the fourth factor was associated with the Useful Innovations Framework, representing only two of the six AIFs, thus demonstrating a theoretical gap. The imperfect goodness of fit test indicated a statistical gap. These results suggest that more research is needed to better understand the full set of barriers to RU experienced by EHOs.

Understanding the multidimensional aspects of quality of work-life of Environmental Public Health Professionals in Canada

Environmental Public Health Professionals (EPHPs) are an essential frontline workforce that aims to keep the Canadian population healthy and safe. Our study explores the multidimensional aspects of work-life related Quality of Work (QoW) among EPHPs in Canada. A mixed-method cross-sectional online survey was used. The data collection was completed in September–October 2022 with 96 participants. The study included EPHPs such as Public Health Inspectors and Environmental Health Officers in Canada who are currently working in Canada and during the COVID-19 pandemic and managers/supervisors of EPHPs. Our Study results reveal that there have been significant challenges to ensuring QoW in work-life settings for EPHPs, ranging from negative attitudes from the employer, challenges with varying guidelines due to geographic locations of health authorities, and increased levels of workload leading to stress, anxiety, depression and burnout – all of which has affected the work-life balance and mental health and well-being of EPHPs.

Identifying occupational health and safety risks among environmental health officers in Australia and New Zealand through an online survey.

To identify the occupational health and safety (OHS) risks among environmental health officers (EHOs) in Australia and New Zealand. The objectives were to profile and compare OHS experiences from different countries and regions to gain a regional perspective on OHS hazards that impact EHOs. An online hazard exposure survey was conducted among 339 EHOs (Australia: n = 301, 88.8%; New Zealand: n = 38, 11.2%). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare 2 ordinal data groups, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for more than 2 ordinal groups, and the independent samples t test was used to compare the means of 2 independent groups where the dependent variables were normally distributed. Multiple regression techniques were used to analyze workplace incidents and age groups. A high degree of similarity in the types of workplace exposures and risk perceptions as well as concerns with organizational OHS management commitment were observed among EHOs from the 2 countries. Workplace violence and physical and psychosocial demands were the most commonly reported OHS hazards. Employer type, sex, and age group were significantly related to workplace exposure and OHS experience among EHOs in both countries. This study provides a profile of workplace exposure in the environmental health profession in the 2 countries and offers recommendations for the implementation of preventive action.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS IN NIGERIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY: ADVOCACY AND RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS

Healthy environment is important for the well-being of mankind and environmental factors play a crucial role in the spread of diseases, especially in the 21st century. Environmental health officers are stakeholders in this regard and in the sustainable development goals. This paper discussed the interplay between the environment and health, the importance of environmental officers in Nigeria and factors that influence their activities. A narrative review was carried out using secondary data from various databases and organizational websites. In Nigeria, an environmental health officer must be registered with the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) in line with Act 11, of 2002 and requires investigative, analytical, communicative and educational skills, among others to function effectively. They are important stakeholders in environmental issues with roles in sanitary inspection of premises, prevention and control of diseases, disasters, antimicrobial resistance, food hygiene and safety, ecological health, planetary health and environmental impact assessment, among others. The challenges they face during their work include lack of enabling laws to deter defaulters, shortage of manpower, poor knowledge and access to various standardized tools, among others. The role of environmental health officers cannot be over-emphasized, especially in this 21st century. However, these professionals need to think outside the ‘box’ to address arising challenges.

A new Building Regulation for overheating: practical considerations for the acoustic constraints

A new Building Regulation to mitigate overheating applies in England from June 2022. A requirement of the regulation is that the strategy to mitigate overheating must be usable, considering occupants' safety and comfort. If internal noise levels exceed 40 dBA Lnight, or 55 dB LAmax more than 10 times a night, then windows cannot be assumed to be open during the night time period. This paper discusses a triage process to consider the noise risk, the practical methods and uncertainties in the noise survey, environmental noise modelling, calculation of facade sound insulation with windows sufficiently open to mitigate overheating, and demonstrating compliance. Potential solutions for natural ventilation and mechanically assisted ventilation are outlined. Until now, the environmental noise impact on new dwellings has been controlled through the planning regime, where environmental health officers have acoustics expertise. The Building Regulations are enforced by building control officers, who may have little or no training in acoustics. More than 30 % of existing dwellings in the UK are exposed noise levels that may preclude reliance on opening windows to mitigate overheating in future dwellings.

Climate Change and Health: Local Government Capacity for Health Protection in Australia.

Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century, with numerous direct and indirect human health consequences. Local governments play a critical role in communities' response to climate change, both through strategies to reduce emissions and adaption plans to respond to changing climate and extreme weather events. Australian local government environmental health officers (EHOs) have the relevant skills and expertise to inform and develop adaptation plans for health protection in the context of climate change. This study used an online survey followed by phone interviews of local government management to determine the extent to which EHOs are involved in adaptation planning in health protection climate change plans. Questions were also asked to determine whether local councils are aware of EHOs' capability to contribute and to gauge the willingness of management to provide EHOs with the workload capacity to do so. The findings demonstrated that although climate adaptation and mitigation planning is occurring in local government, it is not including or considering the public health impacts on the community. Primarily, it was found that this oversight was due to a lack of awareness of the health impacts of climate change outside of a disaster or emergency scenario. Currently, EHOs are an untapped source of knowledge and skills that can contribute to climate change adaption planning. To support this, a framework of local environmental health practice was developed to assist the reconceptualization of the scope of practice required for the planning and response to climate change.

Assessment of the Knowledge, Prevalence, and Control Strategies of Malaria Among Households in Sunyani Municipality, Bono Region, Ghana.

Malaria remains a global public health concern for centuries. The study assessed the knowledge, prevalence and control strategies of malaria among households in the Sunyani Municipality, Bono Region, Ghana. A simple random sampling method was used to administer semi-structured questionnaires to the respondents (n = 422). STATA version 14.0 was used to analyse the data and the results were presented in charts, graphs, and tables. The study shows that the knowledge level of malaria, its vector of transmission and mosquitoes breeding sites among the respondents was quite high. Among the respondents, 43% reported to have been infected by malaria once in a year and 94% indicated that, their relatives have been infected with malaria parasites previously. Also, majority, 65% of the respondents selected environmental management and sanitation (EMS), followed by settlement (building houses) away from wetlands, 20.0% as alternative vector control methods to be employed to supplement the core vector control methods in the Municipality. Further, majority, 69% of the respondents indicated that enforcement of environmental sanitation bye-laws will compel residents to clean their environment, and this is likely to eliminate most mosquito breeding sites, whiles 46% called on Government to support, and employ more Environmental Health Officers and Sanitary Labourers, and adequately resource them to work effectively. Health authorities in the Sunyani Municipality must intensified education on malaria at all levels with the aim to influence the attitudes of households towards its prevention and control. Central and Local Government must employ more Environmental Health Officers, and empower and adequately resourced them to strictly enforce the environmental sanitation bye-laws. Malaria control authorities in the study area must consider employing environmental management and sanitation (EMS) and application of larvicides for mosquito larval control as alternative/supplementary malaria prevention and control methods to compliments the current core vector control methods.

Environmental Management and Sanitation as a Malaria Vector Control Strategy: A Qualitative Cross-Sectional Study Among Stakeholders, Sunyani Municipality, Ghana

For centuries malaria infection remains a public health burden globally as well as in the Sunyani Municipality. This exploratory qualitative study aimed to assess the prospects of environmental management and sanitation (EMS) as a malaria vector control strategy among key stakeholders involved in the prevention and control of malaria in Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. We used an exploratory qualitative study and a designed focus group discussion (FGD) guide (with specific research questions) to solicit opinions and/or views among Malaria Control Focal Persons, Environmental Health Officers (Health Inspectors), and Honourable Assembly Members. Data were collected between December 2019 and February 2020. The responses were analyzed according to the specific research questions. Findings from this study shows that high government support and/or political will by investing in environmental sanitation infrastructure, creating the enabling environment for strict enforcement of environmental sanitation bye-laws by Environmental Health Officers/Health Inspectors, effective and efficient collaboration among key stakeholders and organization of communal labor activities is likely to help reduce the majority of the mosquito breeding sites. The prospects of environmental management and sanitation (EMS) as a vector control strategy, look promisingly very high, pertinent, and workable and a likelihood game changer of winning the fight against malaria due to the residual transmission that is happening outdoors. However, EMS can be employed as a supplementary method to the current core vector control methods if the following conditions and bottlenecks are addressed and in place: (a) Effective collaboration among key stakeholders at all levels; (b) Adequate allocation of funds to the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department; (c) Enactment of robust educational campaigns across all educational levels and via different media; (d) Recognition, empowerment, and adequate resourcing of Environmental Health Officers; (e) Adherence to the building regulations to prevent encroachment of natural wetlands; (f) Revision of fees/fines and prosecution of sanitary offenders; (g) Enactment of an Environmental Sanitation Day (ESD), and establishment of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Fund (EHSF).

Networking to reduce microbial risk in foods

Networking to reduce microbial risk in foods