WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION.. …………………………………………3
1.1 Definition of environmental health services………………3
1.2 Objectives of environmental sanitation……………………3
1.3.Components of environmental sanitation………………….4
1.4 Responsibilities of Ministry of environmental……………..5


2.0 PROBLEMS IN PLANNING AND MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES: OSUN STATE EXPERIENCE …………6

3.0 RESULTANT IMPACT ON PEOPLES WELFARE……………….


4.0 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………..10


INTRODUCTION

Environmental health sanitation is defined as the principles and practice of effecting healthful and hygienic conditions in the environment to promote public health and welfare, improve quality of life, reduce poverty and ensure a sustainable environment.1, The Objective of environmental sanitation is to:
• Create and maintain conditions in the environment that will promote health and prevent diseases. The key to achieve this is through public awareness and education at all levels as a cornerstone of broad prevention efforts.
• Establish a common understanding of up-to-date approaches to hygiene promotion and environmental sanitation and to take stock of the best practices.
• Raising awareness on the importance of water supply and sanitation project with hygiene and sanitation promotion for a sustained behavior change.

.The essential components of Environmental sanitation include:
• Solid Waste management:
• Medical Waste management:
• Excreta and sewage management
• Food sanitation
• Sanitary inspection of premises
• Market and abattoir sanitation
• Adequate potable water supply
• School sanitation
• Pest and vector control
• Management of urban drainage
• Control of rear and stray animals
• Disposal of the dead (man and animals)
• Weed and vegetation control
• Hygiene education and promotion

Ministry of Environment at the State is expected to perform the following responsibilities:
• Provide technical assistance and logistic support to LGA in the implementation of the National Environmental Policy and Guidelines
• Encourage and support private sector participation on Environmental sanitation service delivery, through legislation and provision of financial instruments.
• Support the implementation of National Environmental sanitation action plan
• Adopt the master plan of solid waste management and implementation at the state level
• Ensure implementation of master plan on biomedical waste.
• Ensure and coordinate storage, regular collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste in the urban areas.
• Ensure proper siting of final disposal sites for management.
• Ensure adequate management of the sewerage system.
• Ensure compliance with environmental sanitation standards
• Coordinate the National Environmental Sanitation exercises and provide health education to the public and enlightment campaigns.

Problem of Planning and Managing environmental services: Osun state experience:
(1) The Committee constituted to look into the different environmental health services provision in the state and local government level are not properly constituted. Most of the specified stakeholders as earlier mentioned are not part of the committee constituted at Osun state level.
(2) Lack of reliable data on the demographic, socio-economic characteristics of the community members in the urban and rural areas of the state.
(3) Inadequate resources in terms of materials, fund and human resources at the state and local government levels.
(4) Unhealthy socio-cultural practices, poor environmental sanitation education and awareness e.t.c.
(5) Poor and inconsistent political and administrative will and commitment to environmental services provision in the state.
(6) Lack of competent and committed programmers and programme implementers.
(7) Continuing injustice in environmental services delivery especially at national level in sectoral allocation of resources.
(8) Continuing widen gap between what is said and what is done. There have been so many unfulfilled political promises and lack of political commitment to the goal of the environmental health services.
(9) Lack of proper monitoring and evaluation using appropriate indicators
(10).Lack of proper organization structure and management system which is expected
to support and encourage the participations of other sectors.

The problems are claimed to be precipitated by a wide range of factors that are crucial in fashioning out a successful implementation of environmental health services
(1) Political commitment to achieving the goals of conducting an environmental health services to ensure consistency and continuity of the programmes is usually very weak and unpredictable. Policy of the rulling party on environmental health in terms of commitment and strategies to be adopted has been generally non-specific, unclear and unrealistic.
(2) Low financial viability at the state and local government level because they depend on fund accruing from the Federal account. When this is not coming development projects comes a standstill no matter how urgent the need to execute them
(3) Politics in the mobilization, allocation and use of facilities/resources and services.
(4) Disregard for the rule of law and form of indiscipline.