Abstracts Health Sciences

The role of environmental health practitioners in the prevention and management of legionnaires’ disease

by Gcobisa Mhlonyane

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) play a vital role in providing and facilitating comprehensive proactive environmental health-related services to promote a safe, healthy and clean environment and prevent diseases. The National Environmental Health Policy (South Africa. Department of Health, 2013) referred to environmental health services as critical preventative health services that require adequate financial, human and material resources to significantly contribute to addressing the development goals. South Africa currently faces a quadruple Burden of Diseases (BoD), consisting of HIV and AIDS and TB, High Maternal and Child Mortality, Non-Communicable Diseases and Violence and Injuries, and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributing factors to environmental-related diseases in South Africa include poor hygiene and sanitation practices due to lack of adequate sanitation facilities, poor management of waste, pollution of water and contaminated ambient air. The National Environmental Health Policy, 2013, described the importance of Environmental Health practice in the prevention and reduction of the incidence of diseases emanating from environmental factors, with a strong focus being on communicable diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the role played by EHPs in the epidemiological surveillance of diseases, in particular the prevention and management of Legionnaires’ disease, in one of the municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province. The study, which followed a mixed methods approach, was divided into two phases- phase 1 and phase 2. Phase 1 of the study employed a quantitative method of data collection where EHPs from the Municipality participated in a questionnaire survey, while phase 2 of the study followed a qualitative method of data collection where members of the Outbreak Response Committee from the District H participated in the focus group interviews. EHPs are represented in the Outbreak Response Committee of District H where they play a significant role in the prevention and management of diseases. Data from the questionnaire survey was analysed using the Statistica software programme where descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation test were performed. ix Focus group interviews were transcribed verbatim and an independent coder was used to analyse quantitative data from which three themes emerged. The study revealed the unavailability of programmes for prevention and management of Legionnaires’ disease in the Municipality. EHPs and members of the Outbreak Response Committee were found to have uncertainties related to their role in the prevention and management of Legionnaires’ disease. The study further depicted that the involvement of participants in both phase 1 and phase 2 in managing Legionnaires’ disease in their respective areas, is influenced by external factors such as the unavailability of programmes and systems to monitor, prevent and manage Legionnaires’ disease, shortages of staff, financial implications and capacity building. Lastly, the challenges…