The Department of Health is joining the global community in commemorating World Environmental Health Day (WEHD).

The 26th of September 2024 marks the 13th WEHD to raise awareness about environmental health issues and promote actions to improve and protect the environment for the wellbeing of all living creatures, including humans.

South Africa’s WEHD kicked off today, 25 September, and will continue until tomorrow at the Wild Coast Sun International, in Port Edward, Eastern Cape.

According to the department, environmental health is critical in addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster risk reduction to create resilient and sustainable communities.

‘Climate change and disaster risks are fundamental threats to sustainable development, the living and health conditions for all humans on the globe and the reduction of poverty,’ the department said.

The department believes the negative impacts of environmental health issues threaten to roll back decades of development gains.

‘Building
resilient and sustainable communities means addressing both climate change and disaster risks, and integrating these risks and potential opportunities into development planning and budgeting.’

This year’s WEHD commemoration will focus on creating resilient communities through disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation and adaptation, which has been adopted in alignment with all the environmental health functions.

The event will be attended by political principals and environmental health experts.

Source: South African Government News Agency