Environmental Public Health Week Observed

The Provincial Government has proclaimed January 18-24, 2010, as Environmental Public Health Week in Newfoundland and Labrador. Environmental Public Health Week is a national campaign by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI), the only professional association for public health inspectors in Canada. The Departments of Government Services and Health and Community Services collaborate on the province's environmental health program which contributes to the protection of public health.

"Our environmental health officers are responsible for a number of activities and inspections that help protect residents of the province from exposure to certain health risks" said the Honourable Kevin O'Brien, Minister of Government Services. "For example, they inspect food premises, schools, day cares, recreational facilities and a number of other places to ensure proper sanitation and preventative measures are used. They monitor the quality of municipal drinking water and provide advice to owners of wells and other private water supplies. These officers are committed to promoting and protecting these and a number of other aspects of public health. I am proud to proclaim this week as one which highlights the importance of their work."

"Our government is committed to protecting the health and well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," said the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services. "Our province's environmental health officers play a critical role in carrying out our mandate by providing advice on, and enforcement of, important public health standards, resulting in clean drinking water, smoke-free public buildings and disease and infection control in our province."

Environmental health officers in Newfoundland and Labrador are responsible for a wide variety of approvals and inspection services involving food safety, smoke-free environments, drinking water quality, prevention of tobacco sales to youth, public swimming pools and other recreational facilities, day cares, schools, personal care homes and other long-term and group care facilities. They are also involved in communicable disease outbreak management, onsite sewage disposal assessments, and emergency preparedness and response.

"During this week of recognition, I would like to publicly thank all environmental public health professionals for their commitment to advancing our profession and for their outstanding work over the past year," said Chris Hart, Newfoundland and Labrador Branch President of CIPHI. "These individuals are highly educated and nationally certified by the Board of Certification of CIPHI, a process that guarantees only individuals demonstrating the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for successful performance are accepted into the profession. For their work, at the field level, protecting the health of the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, environmental public health professionals are often referred to as the frontline troops in the battle to prevent disease."

For more information regarding Environmental Public Health Week visit www.ciphi.nl.ca 

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2010 01 18                                                   10:05 a.m.