Third provincial Municipal Health Services summit tackles environmental health

Held at Ingwenyama Conference and Sports Resort in the City of Mbombela Local Municipality, they focused on the following objectives:
• to raise awareness on the functions of MHS as part of basic service delivery that is critical for local government;
• to provide a learning opportunity for environmental health practitioners on current developments, procedures, techniques and academic research in the field of environmental health;
• to find solutions for problems relating to environmental health;
• to facilitate cooperative governance and intergovernmental relations in the environmental health sector;
• to empower municipal officials on the legislation that governs MHS services as well as current or emerging trends in the sector; and
• to share best practices and current developments on the implementation of MHS services.

The executive mayor of the City of Mbombela, Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi officially welcomed the delegates and guests.

“We need to tighten controls on counterfeit goods and build capacity to deal with toxic and hazardous waste which is disposed of in rivers, impacting badly in our communities.”

He was supported by Cllr Mavis Charles, interim chairman of the provincial working group who, in her opening remarks, said environmental health practitioners in Mpumalanga have experienced many challenges when it comes to food control, especially regarding school food nutrition.

A message of support was received from the executive mayor of Ehlanzeni District Municipality who urged communities to work together against the smuggling of counterfeit goods into the country that poses a risk to our economy and the health of communities.

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The keynote address at the two-day summit was delivered by the MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of Health, Sasekani Manzini, who said in all engagements she champions the National Health Insurance Bill, introducing and explaining what it is and how it will benefit South Africans once implementation begins.

During the session that discussed the status of municipal health services in Mpumalanga, presentations were received from Sikhetho Mavundza, Salga specialist on the outcomes of the Salga MHS national summit as well as the outcomes of the annual MHS audit.

Sibusiswe Goba-Sigawuke, Salga senior adviser for inclusive communities, presented on the progress on the implementation of the 2018 summit resolutions and the three districts in the province (Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande and Nkangala) presented on their current operational and policy issues, indicating their successes, challenges and gaps.

During the current and emerging issues session Murdock Ramathuba from the Department of Health gave an update on the legislative review process, focusing on the National Health Act Amendment Bill, the National Environmental Health Bill and the National Health Insurance Bill.

Adv Siyabulela Pendani from the City of Tshwane talked about Section 24 of the Constitution from the perspective of municipal health services and environmental management and Dr Lutendo Sylvia Mudau from Tshwane University of Technology about the use of digital technologies as part of the fourth industrial revolution in rendering municipal health services.

On day two Dr Joyce Shirinde from the University of Pretoria gave a presentation on health at the centre of the sustainable development goals and the role of municipal health service.

Prof Fannie Machete from the University of South Africa presented on the industrialisation of recycling through the adoption of the supply-chain accelerated recycling model in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and Prof Moses Mbewe, dean of agricultural and natural sciences from the University of Mpumalanga, presented on the microbiological problems of river health as viewed in the light of new health solutions.

Nomsa Thabethe from the University of South Africa presented on the human health effects associated with gold mine tailings in Govan Mbeki Municipality and TP Mbonane from the University of Johannesburg presented on the association between environmental lead exposure and violent criminal behaviour among young adults.

A panel discussion on interventions on non-complying products to the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972 (Act No. 54 of 1972) was also received at the summit. The panel discussion was facilitated by Shirinde.

The summit concluded with resolutions being presented and adopted by the delegates, for implementation as part of the action plan that will be developed.

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