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Date : 18/11/2002
Source: Ministry of Health
Title: ADDRESS BY THE NATIONAL MINISTER OF HEALTH AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, International Convention Centre, Durban 18-20 November 2002


1. Program Director, MEC for Health: Dr Zweli Mkhize, Mayor of Ethekwini Municipality: Councilor Obed Mlaba, President of the South African Institute of Environmental Health (SAIEH), Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen and all protocol observed

2. It is a pleasure for me to be honoured with the opportunity to open this important event.

3. This conference could not have been held at a better time that this month of November during which we have to focus on environmental issues.

4. The conference also gives us an opportunity to ensure that as country and health sector in particular, we do not lose the momentum on the issues of environmental health after they have received the attention they deserve during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg about two months ago.

5. Recognition of the relationship between the environment and humankind has assumed greater importance over the last two decades. Both the developing and the developed countries alike recognized the role of the environment in the health of their citizens.

6. At the Johannesburg Summit, much was achieved in bringing together a variety of views in a constructive search for a common path towards a world that respects and implements the vision of sustainable development.

7. Until recently "health" has often been referred to as a harmony of the body and mind. This belief often ignored the third crucial element in the health equation and that is the Environment.

8. Experts in environmental sciences say the air, water, sun, plants and animals of our world support life. As wonderful as they are, if these environmental factors are out of balance, they can also make people sick.

9. In spite of commendable efforts by many governments and external support agencies for many years, many people still lack access to safe water supply and adequate sanitation.

10. We pollute our scarce water resources. Industrial, household and agricultural wastes containing toxic and hazardous chemicals are contaminating the soil at an alarming rate.

11. Our planet is faced with new environmental disasters such as global warming created by unclean industrial technologies.

12. As we encounter risks from changes in the climate, atmospheric perturbations and synthetic chemicals, the demand for a safe environment increases.

13. Globalization has added a new dimension to these challenges.

14. The rapid integration of markets, mobility of capital and significant increases in investment flowing around the world has opened new challenges and opportunities for the pursuit of sustainable development.

15. There are concerns about trade barriers blocking economic growth, international trade practices that are unfavourable to developing economies and intellectual property agreements preventing access to necessary drugs and health technologies.

16. Concerns have also been raised about the effect of trade liberalization in increasing use of tobacco in low-income countries and the potential for travel to add to the spread of infectious diseases.

17. Unfair transnational trade practices resulting in poverty and over-exploitation of natural resources are a major factor in desertification and increase in environmentally related diseases.

18. According to 1993 World Bank study; the most significant predictor of a nation's health status is its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) rather than the nature and type of its health services.

19. The relationship between GDP per capita and life expectancy at birth is strong and persistent, particularly at low levels of income. Frequently, low-level income families have little disposable income for medical expenses resulting from environmental hazards.

20. The diseases that burden communities, in particular deprived and rural communities, are mainly due to environmental conditions that can be avoided or easily be managed by environmental health services.

21. Effective and efficient environmental health services delivery should be one of the critical elements of our intervention against diseases. These services will prevent diseases and thereby reduce their impact and cost of treatment borne by both individual families and government.

22. This requires a paradigm shift in prioritization of health services delivery processes.

23. More emphasis should be put on preventative approaches including the strengthening of health promotion and environmental health interventions and strategies.

24. There is an international recognition that efforts aimed at environmental improvements and protection could have a positive effect on disease prevention.

25. The objectives of environmental health services form the foundation for sustainable development as defined by the United Nations, hence environmental health is seen as a fundamental component of sustainable development.

26. As a government, we believe that environmental health services are critical in ensuring the right of every person to live in a healthy environment as entrenched in our Constitution.

27. Our government's national priorities include, amongst others, the creation of employment opportunities, alleviation of poverty and the provision of safe water, proper sanitation and housing.

28. This is a practical demonstration of our government's commitment to the process of sustainable development and advancement. However, the goals of sustainable development can only be achieved if we are to significantly reduce the high and complex burden of diseases facing our society.

29. There is therefore, an urgent need to address the causes of ill health, including those related to the environment and to reduce the impact of these diseases on development with particular emphasis on women, children and other targeted groups in our society, including those with disabilities and elderly persons.

30. That is why we all have to support the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) programme that promotes cooperation in our continent, and improved international partnership as critical to achieving sustainable development.

31. The NEPAD health vision is "An Africa free of the burden of unnecessary death and ill health". The NEPAD health programme seeks to reduce the burden of diseases as a major stumbling bloc to social and economic development in our continent.

32. The fact that 90% of the world's research goes into less than 10% of its health problems, demonstrates the major inequities in the allocation of resources to address health challenges facing developing countries and Africa in particular.

33. We need partnerships that will begin to address the challenges facing and that are based on mutual respect and common goal of a better health for all.

34. We still have a long way to go in improving our health systems in order to ensure adequate response to the challenges facing us.

35. We need to strengthen our disease surveillance and monitoring and evaluation of interventions, to identify trends early and further inform our interventions.

36. I therefore urge Environmental Health Practitioners to take research as a priority in their scope of practice so as to ensure that our policy direction with regard to environmental health is informed by sound research findings.

37. There are many challenges to be addressed in particular, problems affecting children, women and vulnerable groups.

38. The Department has already trained 28 Environmental Health Practitioners on Environmental Epidemiology and they have developed research proposals, amongst others, on a descriptive study of the parasite, Tunga Penetrans in Sokhulu Community, KwaZulu Natal.

39. The other research is on the impact of sanitation and behavioural factors in the development of intestinal worms amongst children aged between one and five years old. This investigation is being done at Bieiesvlei area in Lichtenberg.

40. We have become partners in the Global Alliance on Healthy Environments for Children, led by the WHO and include a number of governments and UN Agencies.

41. The partnership brings together stakeholders to focus on health problems emanating from the environment in which children live, learn, play and grow. They include:

* " Diarrhoeal deaths, mostly from unsafe food and water as well as inadequate hygiene practices
* " Acute respiratory infections aggravated by indoor air pollution
* " Malaria, dengue fever, hepatitis and other environment-related infections and vector-borne disease;
* " And lastly, injuries including road accidents, drowning, burns and poisoning.

42. We are also participating in the Partnership on the Development of Environmental Health Indicators, which is being led by the United States Environment Protection Agency. We believe that these indicators are fundamental in determining the success of interventions.

43. We are also looking at collaborating with Global Alliance on Lead Poisoning Initiative. This partnership will address strategies for the effective reduction of lead in petrol and other sources.

44. Lead poisoning is a major health problem and strategies and partnerships to address this are of great importance. As a country, we have taken a clear decision to phase out leaded fuel and this will have a major impact in improving the environment in which we live.

45. I will be joining you again tomorrow evening as we remember one of the heroes in environmental health and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Comrade Alfred Nzo.

46. The Department of Health has initiated an award named after him and this award will be presented to the Environmental Health Practitioner who contributed towards the development and transformation of environmental health in collaboration with the South African Institute for Environmental Health.

47. This is an honor indeed for Environmental Health Practice in our country.

48. In conclusion, I wish all of you the very best in your deliberations as you deepen the understanding that environmental health is indeed a strong arm to sustainable human development and the preservation of our precious planet.

I thank you all.

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