Download REHIS Journal 20/2 (Summer 2008) - The Royal ...

Environmental Health Scotlandby Bernard ForteathIFEH MattersThe 10th World Congress on Environmental Healthtook place in Brisbane, Australia from Sunday 11 untilFriday 16 May 2008. The Congress was organisedby the Australian Institute of Environmental Healthand held in the magnificent Brisbane Convention andExhibition Centre. Brisbane is a vibrant city located onAustralia’s east coast and it is known for its subtropicalclimate and friendly, relaxed outdoor lifestyle.When we were in Brisbane temperatures regularlytopped 30 o C although our visit coincided with theAustralian autumn!Almost one million people live in Brisbane and, forthe last decade, it has consistently been the fastestgrowing city in Australia. Brisbane City Council is thelargest local government in the Asia-Pacific region andalso one of the largest employers of EnvironmentalHealth Officers in Australia, employing over 70 EHOsin regulatory, policy, management and other roles.The Congress was preceded by meetings of the IFEHCouncil on Saturday and Sunday 10 and 11 May.These meetings were held in the Boardroomwithin the Webb Centre Building at GriffithsUniversity’s South Bank campus, a magnificentbuilding with panoramic views over the BrisbaneRiver.The first morning when the IFEH Council meets isnow given over to updates from memberorganisations, an interesting and informative sessionwhere members let each other know about theirproblems, their successes and their plans for thenext year. This always proves to be a challengingand thought-provoking session particularly whenyou hear about the problems of being an EHO inKenya or, for that matter, Zimbabwe. It certainly putsinto perspective any problems we may have herein Scotland.At the Council meeting it was agreed that wewould produce a quarterly newsletter, to be madeavailable via the website, in order that we can keepmember organisations more up-to-date with what ishappening in the Federation. I agreed to producethe first four editions of this publication, thereafterthe Council will seek a more permanent volunteer.This new venture will complement the existing twiceyearly magazine.There was also agreement in principle to theestablishment of a new individual membershipscheme which I have agreed to take forward with anumber of other Council members. This proposal willrequire a number of alterations to the Federation’sProcedures Manual as we hope to allow suitableprivate companies, with an interest in environmentalhealth, to take out, for example, corporate membership.I am being assisted in this work by colleagues fromAustralia, Canada and Sweden.The Council also agreed to set aside up to £4,000 overthe next 18 months in order to support the training ofvolunteer EHOs who will be available to aid disasteragencies who are normally the first responders toemergencies and disasters. Over the last two yearsthe Federation has been happy to help promote theinitiative to support international relief and developmentaid agencies - EHiDE - Environmental Health inDisasters and Emergencies. Hopefully EHO trainingwill take place later this year. Although the majorityof volunteers who are involved with EHiDE are fromthe UK and Ireland, the project is transferable acrossthe entire membership of IFEH. Australia alreadyhas a robust system, involving EHOs, for respondingto emergencies in the Asia-Pacific region and PastPresident, Colm Smyth, had very useful discussionswith the Australian Red Cross at the Congress.For ten years now the Federation’s magazine hasbeen edited by John Stirling. John decided recentlythat he felt it was time for someone else to take overthis important post. Hadrian Bonello from the MaltaAssociation of Environmental Health Officers hasbeen appointed to take over from John. In recognitionof his long association and support of the IFEH it wasannounced in Brisbane that John was to receive theEric Foskett Award. The presentation will take placelater this year.I mentioned earlier the problems being facedby many of our colleagues around the world who workunder intolerable conditions, none more so than inZimbabwe. The Council agreed to look at setting upan appeal, some time in the future when the currentregime has been removed, to assist with the trainingand education of EHOs in that country. From what welearn from colleagues working in Africa, the situation18