The Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Health and Community Services, and the Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Digital Government and Service NL, are pleased to recognize September 23-September 29, 2024, as Environmental Public Health Week in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This year’s theme – Create resilient communities through disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation and adaptation – highlights the vital role that environmental public health professionals play in protecting residents and strengthening communities by ensuring safe and healthy environments.
Environmental public health professionals in Newfoundland and Labrador have been on the front lines of disaster response and recovery, helping to ensure safe drinking water and waste disposal, and sharing information about food safety, and indoor and outdoor air quality.
They are engaged across diverse areas of practice and have a wide range of responsibilities including food safety inspections; monitoring the quality of drinking water; and carrying out health-related inspections of child care facilities, schools, personal care homes and long-term care facilities, as well as recreational facilities.
They are certified to enforce public health legislation, ensuring that water, air, food, land and facilities in this province are safe.
Environmental Public Health Week is a national campaign by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI), a national professional association of public health inspectors that works to protect the health of all Canadians by providing certification, education and ongoing professional competencies to environmental public health professionals.
Quotes
“Environmental Public Health Week is an excellent opportunity to recognize and appreciate environmental health officers whose work is vital to protecting the health and well-being of individuals and communities. I would like to thank all environmental public health professionals for their dedicated efforts across a diverse range of fields to protect the health and safety of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
Honourable John Hogan, KC
Minister of Health and Community Services
“The commitment and professionalism of Newfoundland and Labrador’s environmental health officers contributes to the safety and well-being of families and communities all throughout the province. Officers can now complete inspections electronically while they are in the field. This is a time-saving tool that means efficient delivery of services to residents and workload support for staff. Environmental Public Health Week 2024 is an opportunity to reflect on the valuable work staff do every day, to hold our public water systems, childcare facilities, restaurants, workplaces and more to high safety standards. Thank you for all you do for the people of the province.”
Honourable Elvis Loveless
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL
“Environmental public health professionals are a vital part of our public health system. They work diligently to help keep our communities safe. I would like to take this opportunity to thank environmental health officers for their continued dedication to public health in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald
Chief Medical Officer of Health
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Learn more
Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors
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