Illegal dumping is bad for your health, residents told

13 March 2017

 

Hundreds of residents of Johannesburg converged on the Lenasia Community Hall to be screened and tested for a variety of illnesses and conditions during Region G’s Health Open Day on Saturday March 11.

 

Residents were tested, free of charge, for prostate cancer, pap smear, diabetes and high blood pressure. They also had the opportunity to consult dentists, optometrists, physiotherapists, podiatrists as well as general practitioners.

The annual open day, which is aimed at creating health awareness among residents, is a partnership between the City of Johannesburg’s Environmental Health Department and Radio Islam.

“In this event, our focus is on food control, waste management and water quality. We want to create health awareness among the people because there are issues that people need to know as they form an important aspect of their daily living,” said Fatima Cordom of the City’s Environmental Health Department in Region G.

Cordom said it was important for residents to care for their environment. “In this area, we have a serious problem with illegal dumping. Although residents often witness illegal dumping, they choose not to report the offenders,” she said.

“Over time they will suffer as their area will become infested with rats carrying diseases. When rats come into contact with food, they can infect people with salmonella, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting. People can also be infected with plaque bacillus, which causes high fever, leading to internal bleeding,” she said.

Cordom urged residents to report people violating City by-laws. “That’s the only way of resolving this problem. If we can work together with communities, we’ll be able to turn things around and help people live in better environments. We’re ensuring that people have knowledge about cleanliness in their environments and prevent them from contracting diseases.”

Radio Islam Public Relations Officer Ismail Variava said the initiative was in its third year. “Many people cannot access health services; so, we’re bringing services to them. We hope the initiative brings about a difference among those unable to access health services.”

“We’re also encouraging people to gain an understanding of their own health and promote a healthy lifestyle. We’ve many medical practitioners on board who help us.”