The maiden Environmental Health Practitioners' Conference has been held in Ho by Volta Regional environmental health practitioners with a call on government to help resource the officers for a more effective and efficient service delivery.

The two-day event was aimed at comprehensively identifying the challenges faced by environmental health practitioners in the region and to garner support from stakeholders to address these issues, thereby enabling them to make significant strides towards meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) - ensuring clean water and sanitation for all.

The conference, which brought together a diverse range of environmental health practitioners, experts, and stakeholders, was an opportunity to highlight the crucial role these professionals play in safeguarding public health and the environment.

The event served as a platform to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and devise effective strategies to tackle existing and emerging challenges.

During the opening ceremony, the Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer, Miss Stella Kumedzro expressed their gratitude to all participants and emphasized the significance of the conference in advancing their mandate.

Miss Stella Kumedzro stated that despite the importance of their work, environmental health practitioners in the region encounter several obstacles that hinder their ability to carry out their duties effectively.

Some of the major challenges highlighted by the officer was the lack of essential logistics and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

She lamented the inadequate access to necessary tools and protective gear poses a serious risk to the well-being of these practitioners, especially when dealing with hazardous materials, waste disposal, and disease outbreaks and burials.

Addressing these issue has become an urgent priority to ensure the safety and health of the practitioners themselves, as well as the communities they serve.

The event encouraged frank discussions and the exchange of best practices to develop innovative and sustainable solutions.

Participants actively engaged in sessions to identify potential collaborations with stakeholders from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private enterprises, and community representatives.

The Volta Regional Environmental Health Practitioners Conference set an essential precedent for future engagements, emphasizing the need for ongoing dialogues, support from stakeholders, and coordinated efforts to achieve SDG Goal 6.

The success of this inaugural conference has paved the way for an annual tradition of collective efforts and meaningful collaborations to overcome challenges and strive towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for the Volta region.

In a speech by the Chief Director of the local government service, Ms Felicia Dapaah, she noted that to truly harness the potential of the class and make significant progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Agenda 2030), it is important to build the capacities of environmental health practitioners and provide ease of access to the needed logistics and resources to fully implement the functionary roles of officers to achieve the objectives of the class.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yaw Letsa, in his speech noted that the maiden regional conference has presented all with an opportunity to deliberate on ways to promote and protect the health of the public from factors in the environment that are likely to be offensive or injurious, adding that this can largely be attained through collaborative support with key stakeholders and the provision of basic services to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

“Your theme for the conference, that is, “Resourcing the Environmental Health Practitioner for Improved Performance: a Panacea for attaining the Targets of SDG 6” is very apt and I have personally identified with and consider it to be fitting, as well as, appropriate. This is particularly so, even as we strive to promote and protect the health of our populace so that they don’t fall victim to preventable diseases “ he noted.