Thread by @DrZweliMkhize

I am aware that the commemoration of this day is a hallmark of the environmental health fraternity calendar in the country #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

It is my conviction that the declaration of this day came after a realisation that the fight for health for all will be won or lost in the public health space. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

It is critical that as we pause to shine a spotlight on environmental health that we use the opportunity to reassess our health needs and devise mechanisms for action driven interventions. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

The science of environmental health is based on the premise that prevention is better than cure, as this profession is concerned with the key environmental factors that are at the heart of public health dynamics. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

This was most evident in the midst of the #COVID19 pandemic response, where the work of Environmental Health Practitioners became even more critical. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

From a health perspective, the environment must be enabling for communities to adopt safe practices to prevent further spread of the virus. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

Hand hygiene, social distancing, the safe handling and sale of foodstuffs, environmental cleanliness, and the management of waste are also amongst environmental interventions we are concerned with. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

At this point, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank all the Environmental Health Professionals, especially the frontline workers, who have been on the ground from day one. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

The role of the officials at the Ports of Entry has been central to the #COVID19 response, mainly because South Africa is the transit hub for many African countries. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

#COVID19 has once again reaffirmed the reality that diseases know no borders and no country is immune to the socio-economic devastation that follows the arrival and spread of a new and unfamiliar pathogen. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

This pandemic has compelled us to mount a multi-sectoral, well integrated response that favours multilateralism over nationalism. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

We are currently in an extremely fortunate position: the #COVID19 disease burden in our country is decreasing, our health system is breathing, and many people have recovered. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

As the country moves to alert level one...the risk of complacency amongst our community members can become our biggest drawback and result in a second wave that is more devastating than the first. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

We must proceed with the same level of vigilance and care, understanding that the risk of being forced back into hard lockdown remains very real. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

We can never allow the virus to run rampant, causing massive loss of life. #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay

His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa requires that we create a legacy for the health system from the #COVID19 pandemic; the legacy that will find expression in the National Health Insurance. #NHI #WorldEnvironmentalHealthDay