IFEH ISSUE 6 - International Federation of Environmental Health

importance of liaising with other allied health-care professionals and professional bodies within and
outside the country, skills to solve environmental health-related problems and participate in
environmental health research projects to provide the evidence base for future environmental health
related policies and practices. This has enabled EHOs working government and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) to become actively involved in the planning, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of health-related activities. In turn, the profession has gained respect from other allied
health-care practitioners working in the country.
THE PRESENT
The establishment of the degree programme at UNIMA and diploma programme at MCHS has led to
better qualified cadre of graduates moving into the Environmental Health profession. The majority of
degree graduates usually obtain positions with the Ministry of Health as EHOs (without any postgraduate
practical training) and are seconded to one of the 28 Districts in the country. Here they are
employed as District EHOs, Disease Control Officers, Water and Environmental Sanitation Desk
Officers, Food Safety and Hygiene Desk Officers and District Health Education Officers. However,
the Government of Malawi has also provided funding for practising AEHOs with the DPH to upgrade
their qualification to degree level through the introduction of the parallel programme at UNIMA.
Other graduates have taken up environmental health–related positions with Non-Government
Organisations such as WATERAID, Save the Children, UNICEF, WHO, etc. With the introduction of
occupational health and safety module into the degree course graduates are now finding positions with
the Ministry of Labour, G4S, and Roads Safety Council. AEHOs are mostly involved in hand on
provision of Environmental Health services but designated to operate at health centre level and as
supervisors of HSAs. HSAs are designated to operate at community/village level.
UNIMA in conjunction with the Africa Academy for Environmental Health (AAEH) have also made a
concerted effort to attract more female students onto the EH degree course. This is particularly
relevant in a setting such as Malawi where the majority of the EH risks are faced by women and
children. Plans are underway in the Department of EH at UNIMA to attract a greater proportion of
female students through career guidance and role modelling programs in secondary schools.
Secondary school students have limited understanding of EH as a career option. As such, talks on EH
as career options are being presented in various secondary schools in Malawi. Influential females
working in the field of Environmental Health within the Ministry of Health, Institutions of Higher
Learning and NGOs etc. are used as role models. These role models spend time with girls sharing their
experiences to develop emotional ties which will hopefully encourage young girls to think about
studying EH as a career option. This initiative has been endorsed by the Africa Women Environmental
Health Network (AWEHN) (July, 2011).
Ironically whilst these developments in environmental health education were taking place PHIAM was
slowly dying a death as a professional body due to inactivity, lack of finances and had barely a pulse
by the turn of the century. As result of a Commonwealth Professional Scholarship (CPS) awarded to
Mr. Paul Chunga, Chikwawa District EHO (at the time) he visited REHIS in 2003 to learn about the
management and operation of a professional EH organisation. Mr. Chunga is presently District EHO
(DEHO) for Ntcheu and holds the position of Treasurer with MEHA. Upon his return to Malawi, and
after due consultation with the membership, it was recommended that PHIAM should be renamed the
Malawi Environmental Health Association (MEHA) in 2004. A few years later Mr. Young
Samanyika, DEHO for Blantyre (at the time) visited REHIS in 2008 on a REHIS travelling
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