Abuja: The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has partnered with the Environmental and Public Health Practitioners Association of Nigeria (EPHPAN) to tackle environmental and public health challenges in the country. Dr. Yakubu Baba, Registrar of EHCON, announced this collaboration during a strategic engagement with the association’s executive officers in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event was tagged ‘Strengthening Collaboration for Environmental and Public Health in Nigeria’. Baba emphasized that the partnership aims to enhance coordination, promote best practices, and advance the delivery of sustainable environmental and public health services. He highlighted this engagement as a significant step aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals six, seven, and nine, within the ‘One Health’ framework.
Baba described the collaboration as a vital development that will reinforce the practice of environmental and public health, thus better serving the Nigerian populace. He noted that this initiative is consistent with the amended Act 11 of 2002, which mandates the council to regulate all aspects of environmental health practice. The engagement represents a tripartite arrangement involving researchers, academics responsible for capacity building, and the professional association.
Dr. Samuel Akingbehin, President of EPHPAN, also addressed the meeting, acknowledging that environmental and public health practitioners have often worked in isolation, which has weakened service delivery. He expressed optimism that, with the council’s expanded mandate, practitioners at various levels will unite under a single umbrella, fostering robust interaction and professional service delivery. Akingbehin promised the association’s commitment to achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda in the public health sector and urged practitioners across different cadres to collaborate for effective service delivery.
