NATIONAL NEWS - The Department of Health is celebrating World Environmental Health Day, which aims to increase awareness about the impact of environmental factors on public health and the urgent health threats that require coordinated action.
This year’s theme is “Clean Air, Healthy People”, which highlights air pollution as a significant global health threat, leading to millions of premature deaths and serious illnesses such as asthma and heart disease.
According to the department, clean air is fundamental to health.
World Environmental Health Day is observed annually on the 26th of September to raise awareness about the significant connection between environmental health and human well-being, stressing the need to control environmental factors that impact health and prevent disease.
The World Health Assembly adopted an important resolution on air quality and health in 2015. This resolution recognised air pollution as a significant risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and cancer, as well as the economic burden these diseases impose.
Almost all people globally (99%) inhale air that exceeds the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines and contains high levels of pollutants.
Meanwhile, the department said low- and middle-income countries experience the highest levels of exposure.
The department, in collaboration with various stakeholders including the WHO, the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and the National Association of Environmental Health in South Africa, will use this year’s campaign to advocate for clean air policies.
They will also honour the invaluable contributions of environmental health professionals, stakeholders, and educators worldwide.
The two-day event, which started today at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, brings together key participants such as academics, environmental health experts, policymakers, and health professionals.
They are expected to explore strategies for improving air quality, reducing pollution, and advancing evidence-based, community-led policies that promote clean, healthy, and sustainable environments for everyone. – SAnews.gov.za
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