Experts raise concern over possible dearth of environmental health professionals

EXPERTS in the field of environmental health have expressed concern over possible shortage of environmental health officer tutors, which could be a major setback to not just the physical environment but also human health in Nigeria.

The experts raised the alarm during the 45th Founder’s Day and Graduation Ceremony of Environmental Health Officer Tutors at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and the graduation of 51 officers from the 2019/2020 and 2020/202 academic sessions.

The Head of School, Federal Training Centre for Teachers of Health Science, UCH, Mrs Bukola Mustapha, said that urgent action is needed to support the training of environmental health officer tutors to prevent a shortage of environmental health professionals in the country.

According to her environmental health professionals are very important and always play major role in disease outbreak response.

“This training is very important because we are the trainer of trainers. Without manpower, how do we train environmental health officers and prevent the dearth of environmental health professionals? Recall that Environmental Health Tutors cadre was in the Scheme of Service alongside Primary Healthcare Tutors and Nurse Tutors.

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“Regrettably, Environmental Health Tutors are no longer in the current edition of the Scheme of Service. We use this opportunity to solicit for your support to reinstate Environmental Health Tutors back into the Scheme of Service.

“This will not only make our graduates employable by both the state and the federal governments but will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the training.”

On his part, Dr Uzo Osuala, a former registrar of West Africa Health Examinations Board, called for the autonomy of the training institute and the expansion of its courses in a bid to ensure more people embrace the programme.

UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, represented by the chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Abiodun Adeoye, urged the graduands to build upon the solid foundation laid for them by their predecessors.

Professor Otegbayo said that environmental health professionals were important to helping individuals and communities to stay safe and well by protecting them from threats to their health and wellbeing, and he urged them to translate the skills they had acquired during their training to improve the health of the population.