The Association’s functions are spelled out in its objectives which include the promotion of the profession, protecting the interests of members, dissemination of information on environmental health, promotion of training and advancement schemes, and promotion of the science and practice of environmental health.


Environmental Health in Zimbabwe.

The Environmental Health Service is the overall responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. The Ministry employs environmental health officers and technicians who are stationed in rural areas and small towns to do premises inspection, food quality monitoring, water quality monitoring, water and basic sanitation development, health and hygiene education waste management and air pollution control. Environmental health officers hold first degrees and higher degrees in environmental health, while environmentral health technicians hold national diplomas in environmental health. Larger municipalities have their own health departments which provide the same environmental health service in their area of jurisdiction.

The parent acts directly administered by environmental health practitioners are:

•   the Public Health Act
•   the Food and Food Standards Act
•   the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act
•   the Hazardous Substances and Articles Act

Environmental Protection activities are complemented by two other Ministries. The Ministry of Rural Resources and Water Development administers the Water Act which controls pollution of water bodies by industrial or domestic sewage. The Ministry of Mines, Environment and Tourism (Natural Resources Board) controls general environmental degradation thus protecting natural resources.

In the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the service is divided and organised into 4 levels - National, Provincial, District and Ward levels. At national level there is an Environmental Health Coordinator who reports to the Deputy Director Disease Control in the Ministry

At Provincial level the Provincial EHO is a member of the Provincial Health Executive (the others being the Provincial Medical Director (Head) the Provincial Nursing Officer, the Provincial Pharmacist and the Provincial Health Services Administrator).

The PEHO has two deputies to support him. The three officers supervise the activities of the Districts. We have 8 provinces with an average of 7 districts each.

The district is headed by an EHO who is assisted by a Principal Environmental Health Technician to supervise the activities of the EHTs. The two are the district managers and they have District Health Executive counterparts similar to the province. Districts have an average of 15-20 electoral wards each with approximately 6000 people. Each ward has a Health Centre where an environmental health technician is stationed and from where he does environmental health extension work in the community.