World Environmental Health Day -September 26-27, 2017

THE THEME for this year's World Health Day (WHD), “Indoor & Outdoor Air Quality”; is with a focus on the effects of poor air quality, including both indoor and outdoor air pollution to the population, particularly children under five years.

Health experts says all these put the population at risk of developing lifetime 
respiratory complications from exposure to poor air quality. 

Holding at the Umfolozi Hotel & Resort, KwaZulu Natal Province, members of the Media are invited to cover the event on the slated dates of 26th and 27th September 2017 which is to kick-start from 9:00am. 

This year's WHD will be hosted in honour of the memory of the late Alfred Nzo, a ‘Health Inspector’ in Alexander, who’s experiences of poor living conditions of people in the Alexander township, forged much of the understanding of the lives of millions of South Africans in the 1950s.

Given this, the National Department of Health will present Alfred Nzo Environmental Health Excellence Awards to deserving municipalities, points of entry and environmental health students under the listed: categories:

• Best Performing Environmental Health Student
• Best performing Point of Entry in terms of Environmental health norms and standards
• Best compliant point of entry in terms of the international health regulations 2005
• Best performing municipality in terms of Environmental health norms and standards
• Best Improved Municipality in terms of Environmental health norms and standards
• Best Innovative Municipality in environmental health
• Best practice municipality in environmental health

While urging all South Africans to live a healthy life by keeping the environment clean and prevent the spread of diseases; key messages to be presented on the WHD as arranged by the Department of Health, include:

• Protect the air we breathe, protect the future
• Making all places safe for our children
• Know how poor air pollution affects your health