Date: 13/09/2005
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference
Welcome address by Minister of Health, Dr M Tshabalala-Msimang, at the 17th Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
Programme Director
President of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Dr. Fletcher,
Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Prof. Voyi,
Distinguished guests and speakers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the South African Government to address you at this historic event, the first International Society for Environmental Epidemiology conference ever to be held in Africa. I trust that this conference will be so memorable and useful that future conferences will be held in other African countries and elsewhere in the developing world. Let me take this opportunity to thank the Council of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology for giving South Africa the opportunity to host this 17th Annual Conference. South Africa, as a fairly new player in the international community, after many years of international isolation, is honoured to be the first developing country and the first on the continent to host this event. Let me also thank our national organising committee, headed by the University of Pretoria's School of Health Systems and Public Health, and including the University of Johannesburg and the Medical Research Council of South Africa, for presenting a formidable bid and organising this prestigious event.
The Constitution of South Africa, adopted in 1996, gives every person "the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations." In this context, environmental management services, international relations and interagency relations are priorities that need to be strengthened. We are deeply committed to achieving equity in all areas of our society, including ensuring that good quality health care is accessible and affordable for all. We plan to achieve this through partnerships with many stakeholders, including in the promotion and provision of preventative health measures.
The relationship between environmental hazards and the health of human communities is of growing concern to elected representatives, government officials, civil society organisations and the general public. The deliberations at this conference are therefore extremely important and relevant to the current global trends. The theme for this conference, "Sustainable World Health through Environmental Epidemiology: Setting a New Global Research Agenda" fits with the global trend to link efficient environmental practices with sustainable public health.
I am pleased to see that the issues to be discussed at this conference include: 'Environment, Health and Refugees', 'War Refugees, Eco-Refugees and Health', 'Poverty and Equity', 'Environmental Exposure and Health in Africa'. All of these are topical issues that need urgent attention.
For more than a century, epidemiological studies have played an important part in investigations on the ways in which infectious diseases spread through the community. At the same time, intensive experimental work has resulted, in many cases, in the identification of the bacterial, viral, or other biological agents involved. Therapeutic, preventive, and control procedures have been introduced and evaluated. Epidemiological studies of biological agents and the effective control of infectious diseases have paved the way for us now to use epidemiological methods to study the effects of non-biological agents and factors in the environment.
Despite the substantial efforts made during the past two decades to expand epidemiological studies on the effects of environmental agents, there is a paucity of good studies that are useful in establishing health consequences. There is also a lack of adequate guidance for the design and execution of environmental health studies, and for the evaluation of results. There are numerous papers and published reports in the literature but, perhaps because of the rapid development of the subject or because of the pressure for action once a new problem has been recognised, a large proportion of the studies published to date suffer from serious deficiencies in design, analysis, or interpretation. There is an urgent need, therefore, for a publication that sets out appropriate methodology for such studies, which would help countries, relevant scientific institutions and individual research workers to conduct epidemiological studies of environmental health issues in a more structured manner.
It is five years since most countries of the world adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Health takes centre stage in this initiative. Epidemiology can be one of the key tools that can assist us in achieving these MDGs. This can be a scientific process that can link the effects of factors such as lifestyle (for example, level of smoking or drinking) or exposure to a toxic chemical, to disease and to morbidity and mortality. Statistical correlations can also be developed to indicate the degree of risk that someone with a particular exposure pattern, lifestyle or genetic profile has of contracting a specific disease.
All of these issues, ladies and gentlemen, will I hope stimulate debate and discussion amongst the environmental professionals and epidemiology specialists present at this conference.
I would like to applaud pioneers like Dr Raymond Neutra, of the State of California's Department of Health Services, and his counterparts for their vision in facilitating the formation of an international forum of this nature. The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, which aims to discuss problems unique to the relationship between health and the environment, is a forum of great importance for sustainable world health.
The developing nations of Africa experience significant problems in environmental policy-making due to insufficient, good quality epidemiological studies of the health effects of environmental exposures. I would therefore like to applaud this Society on its commitment to promoting international collaboration through capacity building. Capacity development is one important way of promoting global equity and sustainable progress. The commitment of this Society to spread these annual conferences to all regions of the world needs to be recognised, and I therefore hope that this conference will stimulate the formation of local and regional African chapters. There is an urgent need for capacity building within the Southern African region and the entire continent, in health research dimensions of environmental exposures and their implications.
It is also important to note that though individual countries will commission research institutions to carryout epidemiological studies, information sharing with the international community must always be encouraged. The problems of measuring and monitoring the disease burden faced by developing countries, including problems of pollution and sanitation, and the devastating effects of poverty, coupled to limited resources for studies in this field, could be partly addressed by conferences of this nature.
Conferences like this present an opportunity to initiate new research and partnership programmes on areas of common interest. I therefore hope that this conference will serve as a platform for environmental epidemiologists, environmental health managers and the scientific community to mingle and share experiences with their international colleagues
In conclusion, let me take this opportunity to welcome all delegates to our country, especially if this is your first visit to South Africa. The city hosting this event, Johannesburg, successfully hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and we hope that you will find it stimulating and exciting.
I hope you have a pleasant stay in our country and I trust that you will take time from your busy schedule to visit some of our world-renowned tourist attractions.
Finally I wish you all the best in your deliberations over the next few days and I look forward to the resolutions coming from this conference.
I thank you all.
Issued by: Department of Health
13 September 2005
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Conference
Welcome address by Minister of Health, Dr M Tshabalala-Msimang, at the 17th Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
Programme Director
President of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Dr. Fletcher,
Chairperson of the Organising Committee, Prof. Voyi,
Distinguished guests and speakers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the South African Government to address you at this historic event, the first International Society for Environmental Epidemiology conference ever to be held in Africa. I trust that this conference will be so memorable and useful that future conferences will be held in other African countries and elsewhere in the developing world. Let me take this opportunity to thank the Council of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology for giving South Africa the opportunity to host this 17th Annual Conference. South Africa, as a fairly new player in the international community, after many years of international isolation, is honoured to be the first developing country and the first on the continent to host this event. Let me also thank our national organising committee, headed by the University of Pretoria's School of Health Systems and Public Health, and including the University of Johannesburg and the Medical Research Council of South Africa, for presenting a formidable bid and organising this prestigious event.
The Constitution of South Africa, adopted in 1996, gives every person "the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations." In this context, environmental management services, international relations and interagency relations are priorities that need to be strengthened. We are deeply committed to achieving equity in all areas of our society, including ensuring that good quality health care is accessible and affordable for all. We plan to achieve this through partnerships with many stakeholders, including in the promotion and provision of preventative health measures.
The relationship between environmental hazards and the health of human communities is of growing concern to elected representatives, government officials, civil society organisations and the general public. The deliberations at this conference are therefore extremely important and relevant to the current global trends. The theme for this conference, "Sustainable World Health through Environmental Epidemiology: Setting a New Global Research Agenda" fits with the global trend to link efficient environmental practices with sustainable public health.
I am pleased to see that the issues to be discussed at this conference include: 'Environment, Health and Refugees', 'War Refugees, Eco-Refugees and Health', 'Poverty and Equity', 'Environmental Exposure and Health in Africa'. All of these are topical issues that need urgent attention.
For more than a century, epidemiological studies have played an important part in investigations on the ways in which infectious diseases spread through the community. At the same time, intensive experimental work has resulted, in many cases, in the identification of the bacterial, viral, or other biological agents involved. Therapeutic, preventive, and control procedures have been introduced and evaluated. Epidemiological studies of biological agents and the effective control of infectious diseases have paved the way for us now to use epidemiological methods to study the effects of non-biological agents and factors in the environment.
Despite the substantial efforts made during the past two decades to expand epidemiological studies on the effects of environmental agents, there is a paucity of good studies that are useful in establishing health consequences. There is also a lack of adequate guidance for the design and execution of environmental health studies, and for the evaluation of results. There are numerous papers and published reports in the literature but, perhaps because of the rapid development of the subject or because of the pressure for action once a new problem has been recognised, a large proportion of the studies published to date suffer from serious deficiencies in design, analysis, or interpretation. There is an urgent need, therefore, for a publication that sets out appropriate methodology for such studies, which would help countries, relevant scientific institutions and individual research workers to conduct epidemiological studies of environmental health issues in a more structured manner.
It is five years since most countries of the world adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Health takes centre stage in this initiative. Epidemiology can be one of the key tools that can assist us in achieving these MDGs. This can be a scientific process that can link the effects of factors such as lifestyle (for example, level of smoking or drinking) or exposure to a toxic chemical, to disease and to morbidity and mortality. Statistical correlations can also be developed to indicate the degree of risk that someone with a particular exposure pattern, lifestyle or genetic profile has of contracting a specific disease.
All of these issues, ladies and gentlemen, will I hope stimulate debate and discussion amongst the environmental professionals and epidemiology specialists present at this conference.
I would like to applaud pioneers like Dr Raymond Neutra, of the State of California's Department of Health Services, and his counterparts for their vision in facilitating the formation of an international forum of this nature. The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, which aims to discuss problems unique to the relationship between health and the environment, is a forum of great importance for sustainable world health.
The developing nations of Africa experience significant problems in environmental policy-making due to insufficient, good quality epidemiological studies of the health effects of environmental exposures. I would therefore like to applaud this Society on its commitment to promoting international collaboration through capacity building. Capacity development is one important way of promoting global equity and sustainable progress. The commitment of this Society to spread these annual conferences to all regions of the world needs to be recognised, and I therefore hope that this conference will stimulate the formation of local and regional African chapters. There is an urgent need for capacity building within the Southern African region and the entire continent, in health research dimensions of environmental exposures and their implications.
It is also important to note that though individual countries will commission research institutions to carryout epidemiological studies, information sharing with the international community must always be encouraged. The problems of measuring and monitoring the disease burden faced by developing countries, including problems of pollution and sanitation, and the devastating effects of poverty, coupled to limited resources for studies in this field, could be partly addressed by conferences of this nature.
Conferences like this present an opportunity to initiate new research and partnership programmes on areas of common interest. I therefore hope that this conference will serve as a platform for environmental epidemiologists, environmental health managers and the scientific community to mingle and share experiences with their international colleagues
In conclusion, let me take this opportunity to welcome all delegates to our country, especially if this is your first visit to South Africa. The city hosting this event, Johannesburg, successfully hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and we hope that you will find it stimulating and exciting.
I hope you have a pleasant stay in our country and I trust that you will take time from your busy schedule to visit some of our world-renowned tourist attractions.
Finally I wish you all the best in your deliberations over the next few days and I look forward to the resolutions coming from this conference.
I thank you all.
Issued by: Department of Health
13 September 2005
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
