Pest Association Wants Govt to Priority Disease Control

By Funke Olaode

The Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) yesterday joined the rest of the world to mark the World Environmental Health Day with a call of the federal government, the public and private sector organisations to give priority to the regular disinfection of the public places in order to get rid of harmful diseases.

The theme for 2021 world environmental health day is, ‘Prioritising environmental health for healthier communities in the global recovery’.

The National President of PECAN, Olakunle Williams, said there is an integral connection among the environment, health, and economy, thereby demanding more investment in the healthy recovery of the green and brown environment, in interface with the International Federation of Environmental Health, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health, all the states Ministries of Health, the environmental health practice bodies, the environmental health workforce and PECAN.

According to him, “The Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) has the responsibility to ensure that the environment in our homes, workplaces, schools, shopping, recreational centres among others are safe and hygienic for healthy living through the collaborative efforts of its members throughout the country.

“As grassroots practitioners, they are familiar with the local environment and peculiarities, and therefore, stand a better chance in educating, mobilising and engaging residents for the creation of healthier communities. They should be adequately supported in these onerous tasks by the government, corporate bodies and well-meaning individuals to enhance their day-to-day preventive health duties in global recovery.”

The World Environmental Health Day was launched by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) Council as an annual event, and was first held in 2011 in Indonesia. The World Environmental Health Day is observed every September 26, with the IFEH announcing a specific theme for each year, and organising various activities to draw public attention to environmental problems while promoting cooperation between countries through the dissemination of environmental health knowledge about environmental issues on the planet.
The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is an infectious disease that has affected 216 countries all over the world with WHO declaring it in March 2020 as a global pandemic.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 disease has caused serious devastation, loss of life, and economic hardship in the lives of the people all over the world.
This disease has changed the people’s habits and the way they live. It has also tested the health systems in many countries, and has impacted the livelihoods of many people as well as destroyed many world economies.

Williams, however, charged their highly skilled Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) to face the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic is posing and do everything possible to protect the communities.