Environmental Health Awake

26/09/2022

23/09/2022

"In most cases. in life,there will be always be a force that opposes the good things that you do. And trying to force you to change your direction of thought to a bad one. but in a midst of all these we called to do right"

20/09/2022

The dates has been set. Don't miss out on the free medical services..

Join us on 25th September, 2022 at Twim Palm Mall Salama Park from 09hrs to 16hrs.

16/09/2022

Every Environmental Health Practitioners need this policy document.

This policy document gives guidance on how we can offer Health Services to schools.

Information is the new money..

13/09/2022

Are you ready ba Lusaka and Zambia..

Free Medical Services..
Salama Park and Mtendere East..
Venue and Time to be communicated Soon.. Call us if you want to Jump the Que..
Check the numbers on the brochures..

01/09/2022

Poor Solid Waste Management in Zambia who is to blame?
By Eng. Christopher Zulu MZIEH

Everything we do produces waste one way or another. These are material we consider useless on our part. Our lifestyle has an effect on how much this waste is generated. Regardless of the amount, waste has to be managed properly and in an environmentally friendly manner.
Waste Management is a complex process that involves many technologies and disciplines. These include technologies associated with the control of generation, handling, storage, collection, transfer, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste. For the disposal process to be responsive to the public attitudes, the administrative, financial, legal, architectural, planning and engineering discipline must be considered (George tchobanoglous, Frank kreith).
We can go on and on talking about technical terms, but the question that should be haunting us as Zambians is why is our waste poorly managed ?. Well to understand that question we need to look at the stakeholder’s composition-an individual, family, community, the religion, NGOs, institutions, industries, and government and its agencies. Each of these have the part to play in waste management. We are dedicating the next 7 articles to the discussion on waste management and how each of the stakeholders are contributing in summery.
Let’s now look at how as an individual we contribute to waste management problem and how to help out.
1. INDIVIDUAL
I remember at some point in time when we were young, every time it rained we would get the “bins” and dispose in the fast moving waters in the drainages. To us that was waste management. But we did not care about the people downstream actually even them would do the same. That was wrong let me take this time to apologies. It’s good that we changed.
I believe waste management starts with an individual’s attitude. How do we dispose the waste we generate as an individual? After scratching the phone recharge voucher how do we treat it? How do we dispose the leftover food and the trimmings from the gardens? The empty bottles of beverages of all sorts how do we dispose those?
After unwrapping the new item we buy from the shops where and how do we dispose the wrappers or the box that came with the item? How really do we dispose the sanitary pads, baby pads and other similar wipes? Where do we dispose used condoms? These are thought provoking questions that needs serious contemplation. It might seem simple that these things are small, but it is from the small things that waste accumulate into tonnes of waste. So if we can have a behavioural change on small things like a sweet wrapper it will be easy to see the impact of the large item like a disposed furniture on the environment.
Therefore our contribution should be to dispose waste in a designated place and in an environmentally friendly manner. Burning waste or storing it in our back yard for a long period of time is not environmentally friendly. We can help in proper management of waste is by remembering the 4 Rs :
• Refuse: this calls for lifestyle changes. Doing away with unnecessary stuff. Stop buying them because they produce much waste. Refuse the plastic bags from shops.
• Reduce: this can be done by buying things in bulky. It reduces the waste generation
• Reuse: one thing that has become useless to us can be of use to someone so give it out or better still you can reuse it for something else.
• Recycle: on individual level not much recycling can be done, but whatever is recyclable should be recycled to reduce waste.
If each and every one of us can be able to follow these guidelines we can do much to improve our waste management system in Zambia at an individual level. Do you think it is feasible? Let’s see to it that we make necessary adjustments .NEXT WILL DISCUSS HOW THE FAMILY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO WASTE MANAGEMENT

20/08/2022

Most of disease spread by mosquitoes are preventable..

17/08/2022

Everyone has a mental health. Let's ensure we take care of our mental health it is very important..

05/08/2022

ABOUT EATING IODIZED SALT

One of the roles of an Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) is to inspect all food premises to ensure that all salts sold are fortified with iodine. They carry out a field test to detect iodine in the salt. By law all salt sold in Zambia should be fortified with iodine and the package properly labelled.
EHPs play a critical role in ensuring that the government attains the Universal Salt Iodisation which was recommended by a joint WHO, UNICEF and International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) expert committee (C. Katongo, et al, 2011).
Iodine is an essential trace mineral not made by the body (always in small quantities in the body) so must be obtained by food or supplements. Without iodine we can suffer from a condition called iodine deficiency disorder, which can lead to goitre and developmental abnormalities (cognitive impairment and poor growth in children). Iodine deficiency disorder affects mostly women (especially pregnant women), and children.
It is important that this matter is taken serious and measures put in place to ensure 100% of households, traders, manufacturing, etc.

CHALLENGES:
1. Most EHPs do not posses field test kits to test for iodine in salt which it is challenge to confirm if indeed the particular salt being sold is fortified with iodine.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Government to prioritize procuring field iodine test kits for all EHP, and also establish district.
2. The general population to always ensure they buy iodized salt (labelled iodated salt) for their own health benefits.
3. The government to organize capacity building training for all legal enforcement Officers (Environmental Health Practitioner) through the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC).
4. Government to support salt local manufacturing companies with iodisation machines.
5. There is need to enhance health education to raise awareness on the importance of using iodated salt.
6. Research activities should be encouraged so that we monitor how we are in fairing in attaining Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) policy.
Environmental Health Awake

Photo credit: Walter Mart Delivery

31/07/2022

ABOUT ONE HEALTH APPROACH..

One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach — working at the local, regional, national, and global levels — with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.

-CDC

24/07/2022

Today's Devotion

"He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding."
-Proverbs 12:11

The first thing the scripture is telling us is that when we work, we are assured of reaping something valuable. So whatever WORK the Lord has blessed us with, we need to put in our effort and work diligently for we shall surely have bread and butter on our table. (Read Proverbs 14:23)

The second thing is about social capital. We need to be careful with whom we associate with. What value are they bringing to our lives and how are they affecting our lives positively. (Read Proverbs 27:17)

Do a Personal Prayer (you can share it in the comment section if you so wish)

May the Lord continue to shine in my life. O Lord continue strengthen me in all I do. Give me wisdom to diligently execute my work.
O Lord, help me build good relationships. Help me be of value to those that cross my path.

Amen
🙏 🙏

19/07/2022

ABOUT IMPROPER USE OF PUBLIC TOILETS PART 1

According to regulations 84 of the Public Health Act (Drainage and Latrine). States that ..
"Any person who shall injure or shall make improper or unclean use of any public latrine, or a latrine provided in connection with any church or place of public workship, theatre, public hall or other public place of assembly, shall be guilty of an offence."

The above mentioned Public Health regulations informs us that when we improperly use any public toilet we are guilty of an offence. The regulations are usually not followed because of 4 Major things.
1. Insensitive of the citizenry towards proper use of public properties.
2. Lack sensitization program to enhance behavior change.
3. Lack of legal enforcement of the available provisions by the local authority.
4. Bad Staff attitude to those given the mandate to clean the toilets.

In big shopping malls you will rarely find toilets in a bad state or soiled, meanwhile it is free of charge but in toilet were we are charged to urinate we find them dirt and most often in an insanitary condition. The biggest common denominator in all this is the mind set by everyone. In shopping malls there is always a general worker waiting outside, most often is to ensure the toilets are clean all the time. Surprisingly enough, we rarely mess up them, this shows you that the problem is a behavior issue.

Recommendations
1. The local authority to engage private cleaning companies to run all the public toilets. They can use the same concepts used in solid Waste Management franchise.

TO BE CONTINUED..

Photo credit: Alamy