If local councils aim to better address climate change and public health issues, they will be best served by employing more environmental health officers (EHOs), according to new Flinders University research.
The effectiveness of local government EHOs was examined by a research team from Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering, which showed that the ability of EHOs to use their local knowledge and skills in humanrisk assessment during a public health emergency was capably demonstrated by their education and communication responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also recommends that for councils to ensure consistent messaging and a consolidated information repository, a centralized group should be used to coordinate local government climate change adaptation plans in relation toThe surveyed EHOs identified environmental health issues associated with climate change as their most significant future challenge.
"In Australia, environmental health officers are currently an underutilized source of knowledge and skills, uniquely positioned to contribute to climate change adaptation planning at a local government level. However, high workloads, under resourcing, and a misperception around their role, both internally and externally, is impact their ability to contribute," adds Flinders University research colleague Associate Professor Harriet Whiley.
"Our team also supported SA Health in the delivery of the Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine to the Alexandrina community, and to Adelaide Hills Council staff who were assisting with the floodwater response efforts in the Riverland. The profession is also more experienced, with 61% of EHOs indicating they had more than 10 years' experience, compared with 48% in 2010.
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