Page 56 - UGU Dstrct Mun IDP Report '21-22

• Health education therefore creates awareness amongst rural and urban communities as people would be able to identify existing health risks as well as risky behaviour in their surroundings. Health Education also addresses other natural aspects of health risks in relation to:
• Water resources and general environmental pollution;
• Nurture proper behaviour and provide skills to identify health risks;
• Continuous education at schools, communities, and businesses to sensitize and ensure prevention before cure;
• Control and containment of communicable diseases; and
• Due to the increase in positive Rabies cases within KZN, a Rabies Action Group (RAG) has been constituted to promote the
vaccination of all dogs annually, and to promote awareness of the fatal disease. Community Health Workers have been trained and will be assisting in all areas within the district. The Environmental Health staff assist the Dept. of Veterinary Services with the Rabies vaccination campaigns.
3.3.9 Environmental Pollution
The environment must be free of harmful gases and particulate matter, as the inhaling of such gases, can have a serious consequential bearing on the health and well- being of residents. Environmental pollutants have various adverse health effects from early life. Some of the most important harmful effects are perinatal disorders, infant mortality, respiratory disorders, allergy, malignancies, cardiovascular disorders, increase in stress oxidative, mental disorders, and various other harmful effects. Environmental Health Officials have a vital role to play in terms of
• Ensuring hygienic working, living and recreational environments
• Identifying the polluting agents and sources of water, air and soil pollution.
• Taking the required preventative measures to ensure that the general environment is free from health risks
• Ensuring the registration, permitting, monitoring and auditing of all industries, activities, trade etc which involves
controlling the internal effects of pollution on the worker and the external effects of pollution on the community and the environment.
3.3.10 Waste Management Control
Environmental Health Services, together with the local municipalities, play an important role in the management of waste, throughout the entire Ugu district. Refuse generated from residential and business premises, must be properly disposed of, to prevent health nuisance. To this end, recycling initiatives are particularly encouraged and, clean-up campaigns undertaken at taxi ranks. Environmental Health Services is responsible for monitoring the collection, storage, transportation and disposal of waste, in terms of the “cradle- to grave principle.” Environmental Health Officials exercise continuous efforts to educate and prevent individuals from affecting the environment in such a way that it becomes detrimental to their well-being and development. This is ensured by:
• Ensuring the proper refuse storage, collection, transportation, transfer and processing, materials recovery and final disposal.
• Ensuring proper management of liquid waste Including sewage and industrial effluents.
• Ensuring the proper storage, collection, transportation, handling and disposal of Health care risk waste and hazardous
waste
• Advocating proper sanitation and waste disposal
• Ensuring safe usage of treated sewage sludge and ensuring that reclaimed waste is safe for health.
• Ensuring waste management and adherence to the “cradle to grave” approach.
In light of the above, some successes which may be mentioned include,
• The 3 Integrated Compliance Regulatory Forums (ICOREF) in the District were established comprising of Ray Nkonyeni, Umuziwabantu and Umdoni/Umzumbe Forums. The main objective of the ICOREF is taking an integrated and structured approach towards ensuring regulatory compliance by all businesses for the benefit of all consumers with a view of preventing food borne illnesses. Since its inception 53 blitz operations were conducted in the District which resulted in the condemnation and confiscation of unsound foodstuffs, identifying unlicensed business premises, sale of counterfeit /fake products and the manufacture and sale of drugs and alcohol.
• Enhanced awareness amongst business sector resulted in the capture and arrest of three bogus Officials in the Port Shepstone CBD area and the heightened community awareness regarding food safety especially purchasing unsafe foods and its implication and the understanding of date marking of food products has resulted in fewer complaints being lodged.
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