Environmental health hotspots in South Africa

Abstract

The State of the Environment Report, the State of Air Report and the District Health Barometer Report for South Africa, as examples, give some indication of the status of environmental health outcomes, environmental conditions, implemented mitigation measures and past and current research. However, no "State of Environmental Health in South Africa Report" exists. The newly established Environmental Health Research Network (www.ehrn.co.za) is the first step to bringing together those with an interest in environmental health research and possibly working towards finding solutions to the environmental health issues we face in South Africa. The preliminary exercise described here shows that it is possible to identify potential environmental health hot spots using a series of available maps and data. As this work continues, we will strive to answer the difficult questions: "Who needs help the most, where do they live, what are their most serious problems and can we work with them to find appropriate solutions?"