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UCT Division of Environmental Health, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town (2026)

10/03/2026

📢 Exciting news! The Division of Environmental Health is proud to release our latest Guidance Document:
"Guidance document on implementing domestic financing for the sound management of chemicals and waste in support of UNEP’s Special Programme "

Chemicals are increasingly produced and used globally, including in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. While chemicals play an important role in economic development, their production and use are also associated with significant costs, including impacts on human health, the environment, and environmental justice.

Adequate, stable, and sustainable financing is a prerequisite for the sound management of chemicals and waste (SMCW). Insufficient financing results in a high cost of inaction, with consequences for people, animals, and ecosystems. Despite this, chemicals and waste management remains under-financed in many countries.

This guidance document highlights the importance of domestic financing for SMCW and provides practical guidance on how it can be strengthened to support the long-term sustainability of chemicals and waste management systems. It draws on UNEP’s Integrated Approach to Sustainable Financing and emphasises the role of industry participation, including application of the polluter pays principle.

The guidance is intended to support countries, particularly those with developing economies and with economies in transition, all past, current, and future recipients of UNEP’s Special Programme, as well as policymakers and stakeholders, by strengthening the sustainability of project outcomes beyond the duration of external funding.

Consult and share this guidance document with your network and peers to explore its insights.

📄 Read the full guidance document: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects/guidance-document-unep-sp-sustainable-financing

Publication date: December 2025

06/03/2026

🌿 EH Tip: Re-use your glass jars | Remove sticky label residue from glass

Struggling with sticky glue left behind by labels?

Try this simple household solution:

1️⃣ Mix bicarbonate of soda and olive oil to form a paste.
2️⃣ Rub the paste onto the sticky residue.
3️⃣ Wipe clean with a cloth.

✨ The residue should lift off easily, leaving your glass clean and reusable.

Discover our new Environmental Health Tip for the week: simple yet impactful ways to protect the environment and safeguard your well-being. Stay tuned for weekly doses of eco-friendly wisdom. Together, we can make a greener, healthier world! 🌿🌟

Discover our outreach material at: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM): https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

04/03/2026

📢 New Publication | Environmental Health & MDR-TB

We are proud to share a new article published by former student Amy Nel, together with Mary E. Miller and Hanna-Andrea Rother:

📖 Title: Environmental health recommendations for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

This systematic review explores the relationship between environmental risk factors and the health of individuals living with MDR-TB at home, and the potential role environmental health practices play in preventing transmission to household contacts in LMICs.

🔎 Key insights:

✅Environmental health may be an important, yet underrepresented component of MDR-TB prevention and management strategies.

✅Promoting good environmental health practices could help optimise patient health and reduce household transmission.

✅Local and global policies, including WHO targets and the SDGs, could consider more explicit integration of environmental health into MDR-TB strategies.

✅However, current evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, highlighting the urgent need for stronger, context-specific research to guide equitable and effective policy responses.

This work underscores the critical intersection between environmental health and infectious disease prevention in high-burden settings such as South Africa.

🔗 Read the full article here:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-26503-4

27/02/2026

💡Unlock the power of small actions for a healthier planet and a healthier workplace! 🌍

Discover this week’s Environmental Health Tip: Turn off lights when leaving a room — especially at work. Don’t forget to switch off floor and kitchen lights too. Simple steps can significantly reduce energy use and protect our environment.

Stay tuned for weekly doses of practical, eco-friendly guidance. Together, we can build a greener, healthier world! 🌿✨

Discover our outreach material at: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

➡️ To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or the Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM):
https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

23/02/2026

➡️Get rid of fruit flies, without using chemicals!

Fruit flies are attracted to fermenting food and waste, and their presence can indicate hygiene and waste management issues. This simple DIY trap can help reduce fruit flies safely and effectively using household items.

How to make a fruit fly trap:

1️⃣ Pour about ½ cup of apple cider vinegar into a small bowl, jar, or cup.
2️⃣ Add 1–2 drops of dishwashing liquid and gently mix. This breaks the surface tension.
3️⃣ Cover the container with plastic wrap.
4️⃣ Use a toothpick or fork to poke small holes in the plastic wrap.
5️⃣ Place the trap near fruit bowls, bins, or sinks where fruit flies are present.

The vinegar attracts the flies, and the soap prevents them from escaping.

🔗See more here: https://www.pathculture.com/food-recipes/apple-cider-vinegar-diy-fruit-fly-trap/

Simple environmental health practices like proper food storage, cleaning surfaces, and managing waste help prevent pest infestations and protect health.

NB: The mixtures are not for eating purposes, and should be kept out of reach of children and pets at all times to avoid accidental contact.

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or a Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

➡️Discover our outreach material: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

Hanna-Andrea Rother UCT School of Public Health UCT Faculty of Health Sciences

13/02/2026

🌍Discover our new Environmental Health tip for the week: Eco-Conscious Conferences

Attending academic or training events? Consider choosing virtual participation or low-impact travel options where possible.

Reducing travel-related emissions is one practical way to minimise your environmental footprint and contribute to climate action.

Small choices can make a meaningful difference.

️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health (MPH), specialising in Environmental Health: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

➡️Discover our outreach material: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

10/02/2026

🌱 Well done to LEGO for taking a meaningful step toward reducing plastic pollution.

LEGO has begun replacing single-use plastic packaging with paper-based alternatives across many of its packing lines — a move that can significantly reduce plastic waste and environmental exposure over time.

Packaging choices matter. Shifts like this help reduce plastic entering our ecosystems and, ultimately, our bodies.

We encourage continued innovation and accountability as companies transition toward safer, more sustainable materials. ♻️

🔗 Read more: https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2025/november/over-half-of-lego-group-packing-lines-switch-from-plastic-bags-to-paper-based-alternatives?locale=en-us

06/02/2026

Unlock the secrets to a healthier planet and a healthier you! 🌍💪

Discover our new Environmental Health Tip for the week: simple yet impactful ways to protect the environment and safeguard your well-being. Stay tuned for weekly doses of eco-friendly wisdom. Together, we can make a greener, healthier world! 🌿🌟

Discover our outreach material at: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management (MCRM): https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

Sciences

05/02/2026

📢 New Publication

📖 Title: Behavior change through educational interventions and text messaging to improve personal protective equipment use during pesticide handling among smallholder farmers in Uganda: A cluster randomized controlled trial

➡️ Authors: Prof. Hanna-Andrea Rother (Division of Environmental Health, UCT) & colleagues

🔗 Read the full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479726002203

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for reducing occupational pesticide exposure, yet PPE use remains low among many farmers. This study evaluated a two-day educational intervention, delivered with or without follow-up RANAS-based text messages, to improve PPE and glove use among smallholder farmers in Uganda.

🔍 Key findings:
• Educational training increased self-reported PPE and glove use
• Text messages grounded in psychosocial drivers enhanced intervention effects by 1.5–1.8 times
• Improvements were linked to increased action knowledge, perceived costs of PPE, and descriptive norms
• Descriptive norms were identified as a key mechanism driving behaviour change
• Integrating systematic behaviour change approaches shows strong promise for effectiveness

This cluster-randomised controlled trial demonstrates that locally developed, theory-informed educational interventions, especially when reinforced through low-cost digital follow-ups, can significantly improve pesticide safety practices and support scalable strategies to reduce pesticide exposure.

30/01/2026

➡️Get rid of cockroaches, without using chemicals!

The Division of Environmental Health produced a booklet for controlling pests without the use of chemicals.
Download the booklet here:https://health.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/media/documents/alternatives_booklet_final_final.pdf

NB: The mixtures are not for eating purposes, and should be kept out of reach of children and pets at all times to avoid accidental contact.

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health, specialising in Environmental Health or a Professional Master’s in Chemical Risk Management: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

23/01/2026

🌿Discover our new Environmental Health tip for the week:

🌍 Integrating sustainability into teaching across disciplines helps educators enrich learning and empowers students to see environmental health as part of their future professions and communities.

Simple yet impactful ways to protect the environment and safeguard your well-being. Stay tuned for weekly doses of eco-friendly wisdom. Together, we can make a greener, healthier world! 🌿🌟

➡️To explore Environmental Health further, consider joining UCT’s Master in Public Health (MPH), specialising in Environmental Health: https://health.uct.ac.za/school-public-health/divisions/environmental-health

➡️Discover our outreach material: https://health.uct.ac.za/environmental-health-projects

13/01/2026

✨ Happy New Year from the Division of Environmental Health!

As we step into a new year, we’re reminded that healthy environments are the foundation of healthy communities.

We look forward to another year of research, learning, collaboration, and action towards a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Wishing everyone a safe, hopeful, and healthy New Year. 🌱

UCT Division of Environmental Health