World environment health is observed to raise awareness of the crucial work done by environmental health professionals around the world.
World Environmental Health Day is observed every year on September 26 to increase awareness about the crucial work done by environmental health workers and encourage people to contribute to the protection of our environment. In the post-COVID times, the importance of the environmental health workforce needs to be highlighted more than ever before.
This year World Environmental Health Day will be celebrated under the theme ‘Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals’
History and significance
World Environmental Health Day was established by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) on September 26, 2011. Since then, it has been celebrated annually. The IFEH is a body of 44 members and it aims to raise awareness regarding the health of our environment. The IFHE was founded in 1986 in London with a focus on scientific and technical research on environmental health and the exchange of ideas between countries.
World Environmental Health Day inspires people to contribute toward the protection of the environment and to acknowledge the work done by environmental health workers across the globe.
On this day several organizations and institutes organize symposiums, conferences, and other events to raise awareness of Environmental health. This year organizations like the Environmental Health Australia, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Ghana), and MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (India) are organizing various events in their respective regions.
Theme
This year the theme for World Environmental Health Day set by the IFEH is ‘Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.’
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity in life.
The 17 SDGs are integrated, and they recognize that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability while tackling climate change and working to preserve our environment.
Environmental health plays a pivotal role in the implementation of the SDGs as it fits into seven SDGs, 19 targets, and 30 indicators of the SDGs.
