SUBMISSIONS/REQUESTS FORWARDED TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF KEBBI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY BY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, KEBBI STATE CHAPTER

                                                                       

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (EHOAN)

KEBBI STATE CHAPTER

SUBMISSIONS/REQUESTS FORWARDED TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF KEBBI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

RT. HONOURABLE, ALHAJI SAMA’ILA ABDULMUMINI KAMBA

FOR CONSIDERATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE BACKING/SUPPORT

ON

FRIDAY 8^TH JANUARY 2016

PREAMBLE

Environmental Health (EH) is the major aspect of Preventive Medicine which is also one of the four components of Health Care.

Environmental Health as a Health Science and un-dispensable Health service, ensures the Control and Prevention of all aspects, issues, challenges and problems that affect human Health either directly or indirectly. These includes communicable and non-communicable diseases, Air quality and safety, Food hygiene and safety, Water quality and safety, Meat safety (including sales and storage), Pollution control,  Hospital waste management including control of spread of infectious diseases, Building regulation and safety, Control and regulation of International Voyage, Waste management (Solid, Liquid and Gaseous wastes) among others.

The World Health Organization ,(WHO) has defined Environmental Health as the control of all aspects of the man’s Physical Environment, which exercise or may exercise a deleterious effect on the Physical development health or survival.

Environmental Health had enjoyed tangible presence in the scheme of affairs in Nigeria since the time of colonial masters. After Independence, Public Health Laws (which are the legal tool for Environmental Health) were promulgated and made a component of the Nigerian Constitution and domesticated in different State Laws including Kebbi State till date. It is noteworthy that Environmental Health had suffered allot of setbacks since the departure of Colonial masters and was not given its due privileges which adversely affected the performance of the professionals in the field and consequently leading to high rate of Morbidity (Sickness and Diseases) and Mortality (Deaths) from preventable diseases. These challenges made our Hospitals overloaded with patients and made Health care budgets cumbersome to the Government and the general public.

RELEVANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS IN KEBBI STATE

Environmental Health Officers are an essential component of the Health system and other health related programs.

Presently, Environmental Health Officers are in employment of the Local Government Service mostly serving under Primary Health Care Department. Similarly, the Officers are spread across the MDA’s of the State Government Service such as, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Lands and Housing and their agencies

SITUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN KEBBI STATE

Environmental Health and its professionals are facing allot of challenges in all ramifications. Some of the prominent problems are as follows:

1.  Shortage of manpower, especially at the State civil service level. Many professionals have retired while large number are due to retire between the year 2016-2018, with no middle cadre officers to replace them.

2.  Lack of Waste management system. This can be confirmed by lack of Waste collection vehicles across all the 21 LGAs and the state capital.

3.  Lack of Designated final disposal sites of solid wastes across the state.

4.  Lack of Sanitary Meat conveyance vehicles in all the LGA’s of the state.

5.  Lack of Sanitation coordination body, such as Environmental Sanitation Board and Environmental Health Departments at LGA Level.

6.  Non-existence of Environmental Health unit in our Hospitals to ensure compliance with Clinical Waste Management procedures and guidelines.

7.  In-effective and partial School Health program. The scenario at Kanta College Argungu is a yardstick.

8.  Lack of political will to preventive health services by previous administrations and shift of health care focus to curative services.

 

PROSPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT

Environmental Health has allot of potentials of being a Job creator, Revenue generator and Impact maker especially in change agenda of the present administration.

Some of the Environmental Health driven areas that can be exploited are as follows:

1.  Establishment of Composting centers, at least one per Emirate/Senatorial zone. This will address the issue of heaps of refuse spread in our major towns and Villages, Produce organic manure to be sold to farmers and create jobs.

2.  Review and enforcement of Health permit charges for commercial premises and industries.

PRAYERS/REQUESTS FOR LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT

The Kebbi State House of Assembly may make Acts, and other Legislative backups on the following:

1.  Review existing obsolete Environmental/Public Health laws to make them modern and sound and make an Environmental Health Act for the State.

2.  Make an Act for the Creation of Environmental Sanitation Board/Agency. This will address 85% of administrative inefficiencies on Sanitation matters.

3.  Facilitate the establishment/creation of Environmental Health Department at LGA level. The Department is already existing at State level. Also many States in the Federation are having Environmental Health Department in their LGAs.

4.  Enforcement of the provision of Waste Collection Vans and Meat conveyance vehicles by the LGAs

5.  Making an Act for the Emergency recruitment of Environmental Health Officers to fill the huge vacancies created by the Death and retirement of serving officers.

6.  Enforcement of “National Injection safety and Health Care Waste management” policy (2007) in all health Institutions. This will ensure creation of E.H. Department and ensure effective Clinical waste management.

7.  Review School Health service policy and make an Act to that effect that will ensure recruitment and deployment of Environmental Health Officers to all Secondary Schools for effective disease prevention and control.

8.  Facilitate the creation of Composting and waste recycling centers across the state for its overall benefits as mentioned above.

The coming of Institute of Environmental Health and Justice

The dearth of Environmental Health Officers [aka Sanitarians] in the country is a source of great concern to a responsible leadership.

Nigeria is bedeviled with many environmentally based diseases like malaria, cholera, typhoid fever, and other environmental problems like environmental pollution, oil spillage, and others which can be prevented and control via effective utilization of environmental health practitioners at all level of governments, but this is not obtainable due to the emphasis on curative health services by our leaders, hence the state of our environmental health problems.

Also the number of adequate, qualified and employed environmental health practitioners in the country is nowhere near average, couple with fewer universities running environmental health program at undergraduate level.

These and many more makes the Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO] establish the ‘Institute of Environmental Health and Justice’ [IEHJ] to fill the gap in manpower training and development of environmental health practitioners.

The philosophy of the institute is to provide a broad based research, professional training and competencies in Environmental Health and Justice that reflects the emphasis on current national policies and needs, with the vision of being pioneer institute in Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub-region for training of skilled practitioners in Environmental Public Health and Justice.

The objectives of the institute are to run certificates, diploma, first degree, and higher degrees in environmental health and justice; mount special undergraduate programme for environmental health practitioner/officers and other community health care professional; provide technical and advisory service to government ministries, departments and agencies including industries in all areas of environmental health and justice in Nigeria and ECOWAS sub-region; promote effective and international collaborations in the planning of symposia, workshops, seminars including on the job training of environmental health practitioners and other  professionals in related fields in Nigeria and ECOWAS sub-region; acts as national and regional institute for the collection and dissemination of technical and scientific information and a focal point for environmental health and justice; promote and coordinate applied research relevant to environmental health and justice in line with national needs; provide environmental and public health laboratory services in accordance with national and international laws, regulations, guidelines, policies, etc.; and liaise with environmental advocates in promoting environmental justice.

To further close the gap of non-specialization, students of higher degrees may  choose any of the following areas of specialization, aviation hygiene and sea vessels sanitation; bioremediation and clean technology; environmental and radiation health protection; environmental epidemiology; environmental health laboratory and instrumentation; environmental health physics; environmental health safety and sanitation technology; environmental justice; environmental psychology; environmental toxicology; food hygiene, safety and quality assurance; pollution control management; population health; solid and special wastes management; and vector control and pest management.

IEHJ comes at the right time when environmental health practitioners in Nigeria needs vigorous training in various areas of specialization that will empower them to be more scientific in checkmating the environmental public health problems affecting the country which differ from one region to another, and take their rightful place in the scheme of health services in Nigeria.

The pioneer Director of the institute, Professor Sanitarian A. N. Amadi, an expert in environmental public health, is driving the institute to a greater height; we should all join hands and support him for the development of FUTO, and the nation at large.

Mohammed Sani Garba, New Hospital Road,Kano

Professor Agwu Nkwa Amadi, B Sc., M. Sc., PhD

Born on the 1^st May, 1965 in Okagwe Ohafia, Abia state. He had his early education at the Community Primary School Okagwe Ohafia 1972-1978 and the Boys’ Secondary School Asaga Ohafia 1978-1983; he subsequently attended the School of Health Technology Aba, 1985-1987 for a certificate in medical laboratory science.

By October 1987, he enrolled at the Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu for a degree programme in Parasitology & Entomology which he completed in 1991. By 1992 he secured admission to Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka for postgraduate studies, leadin to M.Sc. degree in Public health Parasitology in 1995. Soon he secured a teaching appointment with the Abia State University, Uturu, where he served as lecturer from 1996-2002.

Alongside his teaching appointment, Agwu Amadi found time to register for Ph.D research programme in Environmental Health Biology at Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He pursued his research work with diligence and commitment, and successfully completed the programme in 2001. Sequel to the high commendation of his work, and the resultant research publications, Dr Agwu Amadi was offered an appointment in 2002 as a lecturer I at the university. He started from the then department of biological sciences, where he participated actively in teaching several departmental and school courses; and serves also in several university committees. By 2005 he was duly appraised and promoted to the rank of senior lecturer in the School of Science.

With the commencement of the School of Health Technology [SOHT] however, Dr Agwu Amadi sought transfer to the new school in the 2004/2005 academic session. He therefore became one of the pioneer staff of the school. Among other things, he taught various departmental and school courses, and served severally as chairman SOHT committee on Student Industrial Working Experience Scheme [SIWES], chairman SOHT research grants committee, and member, SOHT postgraduate studies committee. Agwu Amadi was privileged to serve subsequently as Head of the Department of Public Health Technology, School of Health Technology from 2007-2009. In the course of this service he was elevated to the rank of Reader/Associate Professor in the year 2008; and was soon selected to co-ordinate a resourceful Environmental Health Training programme sponsored by the Environmental Health Officers registration Council of Nigeria.

A prolific research scholar, Agwu Nkwa Amadi has to his credit four published books and some three co-authored titles, plus about ninety research articles published in reputable local and international journals. He has also participated actively in numerous conferences and workshops locally and elsewhere. In addition, he successfully supervised scores of undergraduate and postgraduate students [including some M. Sc, M.P.H and PhD advisees] many of who have today blossomed into leading healthcare professional and active research scientists. Of course, Agwu Amadi himself is a duly registered professional sanitarian, certified by the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria [EHORECON].

In recognition of his qualification and experience, plus his consistent academic and professional contributions, Agwu Amadi was duly appraised in 2011 and promoted to the rank of full professor in the department of Public Health Technology, effective from October, 1, 2011. He has continued to contribute actively to the growth of the department, and the School of Health Technology, and was re-appointed Head of Department in 2012. He has served meritoriously in this position till date. In addition, Professor Agwu Amadi is one of the devoted research associates and adviser of the centre for Women, Gender and Development Studies [CWGDS].

Furthermore, Professor Agwu Nkwa Amadi, B. Sc [Hons], M.Sc. PhD;  a distinguish scholar, teacher and research scientist is a recognized Fellow, Society of Environmental Health, Fellow, Institute of Industial Administration, Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health and Member of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.  No wonder, he has remained an active consultant to various governmental and private sector agencies in this country; and to some well-meaning development partners such as UNICEF, UNDP, and West African Health Organization [WAHO], etc.

A practicing Christian and family man, Professor Agwu Amadi is happily married to Dr Mrs] Chinasa Amadi, an experienced graduate of Medical Laboratory Scientist, a Sanitarian and a lecturer also in the department of Public Health Technology. The marriage is blessed with three children namely, Chioma, 17; Chima, 14; and Mary, 13 respectively. The couples are actively involved in community health practice and various sanitation projects in the South Eastern states of Nigeria.

INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT HONOURABLE (MRS) LAURENTIAL LARABA MALLAM AT THE INAUGURATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA OM MONDAY 11TH AUGUST 2014 AT ROCK VIEW ROYALE HOTEL WUSE ZONE II ABUJA

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment,
The Chairman of the Council,
Members of the Council,
Directors here present,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very happy and grateful to God to be here today to inaugurate the
Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria on behalf of the President
and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, who is authorized by the enabling Act to establish this
Council.

2. This inauguration is the third in the life of this Council having been established for
the first time in 2004. This inauguration is coming at a time when the improvement in
various components of Environmental Health is of utmost public concern due mainly to the
abysmal situation of such in public concerns in such areas like waste management, global
warming and climate change, poverty alleviation, and general environmental protection.

3. The present administration is determined to improve the environmental quality of
all facets of the country to assuage public concerns. The Environmental Health Officer
(Sanitary Inspector) therefore as the officer on the frontline of this battle for
environmental protection must be re-established by government to meet this need.

4. The Profession of Environmental Health, I am aware has a long and enviable
history, having started during the agricultural and industrial revolution of 1750-1900 in
Great Britain. The practice of the profession which was introduced into Nigeria by the
colonial government due to their determination to ensure a safe environment for the
colonial government proved its usefulness. The impact of your predecessors manifested in
the eradication of some of the major communicable diseases of the 1950’s and 60’s such as
Yaws, Plague and Small Pox and these efforts were well appreciated by the Nigerian
people. Other communicable diseases spread by filthy environment such as cholera,
Malaria, typhoid etc were equally kept at bay. The older generation of Nigerian still
remember with nostalgia the effectiveness of the then Sanitary Inspector called
Dubagari, Nwole-ala, and Wole-wole in the Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba languages respectively
and still clamour for the re-introduction of the cadre in our various communities in order
to restore environmental sanity into such communities. My ministry is ready to work with
the Council to ensure the early return of the Environmental Health Officer with the aim
of attaining the level of effectiveness witnessed during the colonial era and beyond.

5. The importance of the environmental health officer as a preventive health officer
is accepted globally and that is why the World Health Organisation (WHO) consultation on
the role, function and training requirements of Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in
1978, concluded that “experience of those countries which have officers with special
training in Environmental Health who are recognized as constituting a specific profession
clearly demonstrates their values. Thus it would be to the advantage of all member states
to introduce into their Environmental Health service, staff of this kind”, and I am happy to
acknowledgement that Nigeria has long fulfilled this requirement.

6. When I assumed office in the Ministry, I received so many letters from various
factions of the Environmental Health Officers Association alleging one form of misconduct
or the other by members of the profession. This kind of situation should not be in a
regulated profession which should be seen to be populated with men and women of very
high level of discipline. I believe that because there is now a Council, you should settle the
issues so we can focus on the bigger picture of delivering high quality service to Nigerians.
In exercise of my powers under section 7 of the Act therefore, I request you to look into
these issues as well as all reports of breach of the code of ethics of the profession by
some members across the nation. I want you to carry out full investigation and ensure
that integrity is the watch word of practitioners and any person(s) no matter how highly
placed found to have compromised should be appropriately sanctioned in line with the code
of professional ethics guiding the profession.

7. I wish to express the gratitude of Mr. President and Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, to 5
all the members of the last Council especially to the former Council Chairman HRH Alhaji
(Dr.) Yunusa Muhammadu Danyaya OON the Emir of Ningi, for finding time out of his busy
schedules to have served meritoriously in the Council for 6 years. I equally thank those
being inaugurated today for accepting to Serve in the Council.

8. Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of Mr. President and Commander - in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, it
is my Honour and Pleasure to formally inaugurate the Board of the Environmental Health
Officers Registration Council of Nigeria.

9. Thank you.

Hon. (Mrs.) Laurential Laraba Mallam
Honourable Minister of
11th August 2014

ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (EHORECON), PROF. OLADAPO A. AFOLABI OON, CFR ON THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE 3RD GOVERNING BOARD OF THE COUNCIL AT ROCKVIEW HOTEL, ABUJA

On behalf of myself and other members of the governing  board of Environmental Health Officers Registration  council of Nigeria, I like to thank the Management and the Honourable Minister of Environment and Mr. President for  finding us worthy to serve on this Board. We express our sincere gratitude which we request the Honourable Minister to convey to Mr. President.

The importance of environmental Health especially in this  era of emerging new diseases cannot be over emphasized  as this cadre of professionals hold the key to the prevention of transmittable and communicable diseases  including the protection of aesthetics of our environment.

Indeed they are responsible for the general health outlook of the nation. It is therefore important that the nation’s health policy and strategy should emphasize preventive health care and this is where the relevance of the environmental health professionals especially the environmental health officers should be written in bold and indelible ink.

This being so, it is clear that environmental health officers are in big deficit. As of today we have only about 13,000 trained and only 8,000 are registered. This is far short of at least 22,000 expected, considering WHO requirement of 1 EHO to 8,000 people. This is what has given room to the employment of unqualified personnel by various governments to do our job, especially States and Local Governments and giving them all sorts of titles such as environmental marshalls, environmental corps etc. Of course garbage in, garbage out. Results of unqualified personnel manning such sensitive professional practices is the cause of the unending epidemic of communicable and transmittable diseases in our communities. This
situation needs to be addressed and corrected.

The council may need to carry out advocacy to state government, to give priority to environmental health
interventions which are known globally to be cheaper and save more money than the present situation of advocating medical based interventions even in areas that obviously
require otherwise.

We also need to pay advocacy visit on the need for tertiary institutions to popularize training in this field by offering degrees and diploma programmes. It is quite unacceptable that in over 100 years that the colonial
administration introduced this profession, only 2 Universities are offering degree programmes for
environmental health officers.

For us to remain relevant and responsible, I once again invite members of this profession to rededicate
themselves and carry on their duties with honour, dignity and integrity. The profession had already made a name for itself and we should keep it up.

We know that our society of today has lost a lot of our value system and some of our members could easily be tempted to engage in unwholesome practices. For this group, hard times await them as the Council will not hesitate to discipline anyone who brings the image of the profession into ridicule.

In conclusion, I wish to state that the task before the Council is enormous and require the dedication of all the members and the full support of government. We pledge our loyalty to the government and commitment to this duty of further improving the profession by continuing from where the last Council stopped.

Thank you.

Dated  11TH AUGUST, 2014

ADDRESS BY THE PIONEER CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA, ALHAJI (DR) MUHAMMADU YUNUSA DANYAYA OON ON THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS

It is my honour and privilege to address this very true august gathering
as the Chairman of the pioneer Council of this our great profession of
Environmental Health Officers. I have a feeling of fulfillment in being
here today to witness this inauguration of the second governing Board of
our great Council. I have looked forward to this day with utmost passion.
The last two years of our Board dissolution has seemed eternity going
by the necessity and import of the Governing Board to the growth of our
young profession.
When we were inaugurated in the year 2004, there was almost nothing
to build on. I remember informing the then Hon. Minister and Council that
the assignment given to us was to revive a dead profession. There was
no government establishment, no staff, no office accommodation, zero
funding, and a profession and professionals in disarray. We had to start
from the scratch in establishing the register of persons in the practice of
the profession and reaching out in advocacy to government, the general
public as well as the practitioners themselves who knew very little about
the nitty-gritties of professional regulation.
Today, we can point at a rented office accommodation at the center and
six zonal offices nationwide, we can also display and categorize
practitioners of environmental health according to sub-professional lines,
sex and age, geography and standing with the Council or any other
characteristic of interest. We have also improved greatly on the
standards of professional training and practice of the profession in
Nigeria. The Minimum Bench Mark for training of environmental health
officers in Nigeria Universities from the National Universities
Commission, new Curriculum for OND & HND, Practice Guide for
environmental health officers in Nigeria, Disciplinary Committee Rules
issued by the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Dahiru
Mustafa GCON and the Disciplinary Committee Assessors Rules issued
by the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello 2
Adoke, SAN. These are some of the lasting achievements recorded by
Council during our tenure.

I Thanks the Almighty Allah for guiding the Council. I wish to publicly
acknowledge that the Council had a committed young man in the
personality of the pioneer Registrar (Mr. Augustine Ebisike). He worked
very hard greatly complementing our efforts in founding the profession.
Let me quickly add that Mr. Ebisike has potentials yet to be tapped and I
make bold to commend him for other higher appointments in the service
of our dear nation.
The urgent challenges I see the new Council will be facing are
challenges of professional misconduct by members that needs to be
dealt with, poor recruitment by government at all levels as it seems there
is an “understanding” to allows Environmental Health Officers go into
extinction in the Federal Ministries and parastatals where their numbers
have dwindled from over 1000 in the 1980s to less than 50 this year.
Their numbers in the various states and LGAs is not in any way better.
I have no doubt, given the calibre of people in the current Board of the
Council that the challenges both listed and yet to be encountered will not
alter the path to Environmental Health regaining its pride of place in the
scheme of things in the professional service delivery in the Country. This
I am sure Mr. President saw in assembling this worthy team under the
Chairmanship of an erudite Scholar, experienced bureaucrat and
esteem statesman – Professor Oladapo Afolabi MFR.
I must at this point commend the President and Commander in Chief of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Dr. Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan GCFR for his leadership. The gift of the current Minister of
Environment – Mrs. Lawrentia Laraba Mallam, and the current Board of
the Council is true to Mr. President as a visionary leader and an
environmentalist to the core. Mr. President, I am happy that you treasure
environmental health as a key to the actualization of your cherished
Tranformation Agenda. What remains is for your co-pilots namely – state
governors and Local Government Chairmen to see this noble profession
through your eyes. In doing this, the National Assembly and their
counterparts in the other tiers will give the profession the needed
legislation it requires for effective service delivery.3
During our tenure, we favourably enjoyed the support of the Federal
Ministry of Environment throughout out tenure in the Council. Even when
there were regime changes at the center and the Ministry, our level of
support and patronage never dropped.
Before I end this address, Hon. Minister, permit me to make this parting
request to Mr. President; “I want to hear during the next Council
inauguration that the Federal Ministry of Environment has a fully staffed
Directorate of Environmental Health which will model for states and local
governments to copy, and a fully staffed environmental sanitation
commission centrally controlled but with activity in all local governments
and wards in Nigeria”.
Thank you, Hon. Minister, Chairman of Council, Ladies and Gentlemen
for listening.
HRH Alh. (Dr.) Yunusa M. Danyaya OON.

Dated  11TH AUGUST, 2014

Environmental health, solution to Nigeria's healthcare problems-Prof Amadi

By Mohammed Sani Garba

The 25^th inaugural lecture of Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO] will continue to be remembered for a long time due its uniqueness, timeliness and the full attendance it garner. The lecture was delivered by the ‘People’s Professor’, Professor of public health and specialist in environmental health and safety, Head of Department, Public Health, and Coordinator, Environmental Health Program, FUTO-Prof A. N. Amadi titled ‘Environmental Health: The dynamics, application, implications and way forward in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system’.

In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof CC Asiabaka describe inaugural lecture as a lecture when a professor worth the name would come and tell the world and academia  who s/he is and what s/he has been professing, his contributions to the academia and the development of the society via his research, etc.

Prof Amadi describe environmental health as a polyvalent public health field which was defined in various way; for instance, some make references to the relationship between people and environment, others focus on abating/mitigating hazards, yet some see it as promoting health and enhancing environment, while others extend more broadly to aspect of the social and built environment.

He therefore said that environmental health is ‘complex’ or ‘many things’, an interdisciplinary professional and academic field, an area of research and an area of applied public health practice.

Based on these, he stated that environmental health is a basic science of public health practice that is concern with the technologies of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through well-organized integrated environmental interventions based on community participation, institutional effort/support and integrated research.

On the dynamics of environmental health in Nigeria, it dated back to 3 periods, pre-independence [1860-1960]; post independence [1969-1999]; and 21^st century era. In the later period, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria was established, practice guide for environmental health practitioners was produced, approval of Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard [BMAS] by National Universities Commission, among others.

The application of environmental health, Prof Amadi stated is quite wide and it is all about organization of its services which in Nigeria covers 18 components, like environmental health control of housing and sanitation, epidemiological investigation of disease and control, water resources management and sanitation, control of frontiers, air and seaport, and border crossings, among others. But factors like wrong priorities, lack of political will, preference of curative than preventive health, restriction of decision making to very few practitioners, etc are among the factors currently influencing performance of environmental health practice in Nigeria.

On the implication of environmental health, Prof Amadi said that it is two phase, adequate and inadequate. The later leads to public health implications that include social misery, especially for women, the elderly and children; widespread damage to human health and child survival prospects; pollution to the living environment and water resources; and depressed economic productivity and human development.

The former results in multiplier effects on virtually all aspects of life and overall development of the country, some of which include decrease in mortality and morbidity rates of sanitation related diseases; increase in productivity and reduction of poverty, improvement of nutrition and the physical mental growth of children; improvement of school enrolment, attendance and performance; and increase in the survival of people living with HIV/AIDS, among others.

On the way forward, Prof Amadi recommended the following among others, environmental health practitioners should have enough will power to do what is right and urgent, decision making in the health sector should be extended by the key players to as many practitioners in the field as necessary, current environmental health services facilities should be renewed and upgraded, new ones should be built.

In his closing remark, the Vice Chancellor FUTO, appreciated and commended the inaugural lecturer for saying it all on the topic and his contributions in the field of environmental health practice in Nigeria. He challenged others to propose their topic so that the lecture could be done on monthly basis.

Participants expressed happiness over the large turnout, which they describe as the biggest inaugural lecture attended above the capacity of the lecture hall, and the relevance of the topic in contemporary Nigeria’s development.

Prof Amadi is a registered and certified sanitarian, Fellow, Society of Environmental Health, Fellow, Institute Industrial Administration , Associate member of Nigeria Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Fellow, Royal Society for Public health [UK], and an active consultant to various governmental and private sector in the country among others.

FUTO's 25th Inaugural lecture

Announcement

The 25th Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO] Inaugural Lecture is scheduled to take place on 23rd July, 2014 By People’s Professor, the Professor of Environmental Health and Safety, Head of Department, Public Health, Coordinator, Institute of Environmental Health Technology, [IEHT], Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof, Agwu Nkwa Amadi, BSc, MSc. [public health], PhD [FUTO], FSEH, FRSPH, FWAEPHL, LEHO.

The title of the lecture is ‘Environmental Health: The Dynamics, Applications, Implications and the Way Forward in Nigeria's Health Care Delivery System'.

Venue: 1000 capacity lecture hall

Chief Host: Prof CC Asiabaka, B.sc, M.Sc, [Georgia], Ph.D. [Louisiana], Fseh, KSM, JP Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri [FUTO].

Chairman Lecture series committee: Prof MOE Iwuala, B.Sc, [Nig], M.Sc, Ph.D [London], FLS, FNSP, FBSN, C.Biol [England], Director, University linkages and advancement unit.