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Tips for staying healthy in your environment<h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Be aware and careful​​​​​​​</h2><p>Help reduce the risk of disease by taking note of these important tips:    </p><ul><li>Drink safe water (Cape Town has a safe water supply from the tap). If you are drinking water that comes directly from rivers or lakes, either boil the water for at least a minute or filter it.</li><li>Avoid raw or uncooked meats. Eat only thoroughly cooked meat products and only eat fruits that you have peeled yourself.</li><li>Serve food dishes as soon as they are cooked. Avoid cooked food that has been standing at room temperature for some time by refrigerating left-overs straight away.</li><li>Keep raw meat separate from cooked meat. Wash hands, knives and cutting boards with hot soapy water after handling uncooked foods.</li><li>Avoid unpasteurised juices and only drink pasteurised milk products.</li><li>Get rid of toilet matter in proper facilities or in a hygienic way and avoid contaminating water sources.</li><li>Always wash your hands after using the toilet or before eating and handling food. Washing your hands properly is one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase protection against certain diseases (like diarrhoea and food poisoning). </li><li>Do not allow sick persons to handle or prepare food.</li><li>Make sure your refrigerator always stays at 5°C or below. Also be sure to clean your refrigerator regularly.</li></ul><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note">​​​</i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>Want to lodge a complaint or concern about environmental health issue? Call <em> <a>0860 103 089</a></em>.</p></div></div><ul><li>Avoid places with poor water treatment, sanitation and hygiene as cholera is usually found in water or food that has been dirtied by an infected person’s toilet matter.</li><li>Avoid food that is not prepared hygienically whether at home, at a restaurant or by street vendors.</li><li>Avoid uncooked or raw meats, animal products or unwashed food such as raw beef, unpasteurised milk or grown vegetables.</li><li>Avoid contact with waste and rubbish.</li><li>Avoid soil that is dirtied with human toilet waste or animal waste.</li><li>Avoid wild or domestic animals that are behaving strangely.</li><li>Don't dispose of toilet waste in a clean water source.</li><li>Don't drink water that is not from a tap or that has not been boiled.</li><li>Don't eat food that has been standing at room temperature for some time.</li></ul><h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​Our Guide to Common Environmental Health Diseases​</h2><p> Download our <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/Common%20environmental%20diseases.pdf" target="_blank">Common Environmental Health Risks and Diseases Handbook​</a> for more information on the prevention of diseases like:</p><ul><li>anthrax</li><li> <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Personal-health/illnesses/cholera">cholera</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Personal-health/illnesses/gastroenteritis" target="_blank">diarrhoea (gastroenteritis) </a></li><li>rabies </li><li> <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Personal-health/illnesses/typhoid-fever">typhoid fever</a></li><li>tapeworm</li><li> <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Personal-health/illnesses/hepatitis-a">hepatitis</a></li></ul><p>For more information on infectious disease, visit the<a href="https://www.nicd.ac.za/" target="_blank"> National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) website<i class="icon link-external"></i></a>.</p> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy light-blue bg-light-grey"> <div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info fastfact">​​</i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Fast fact​</h4><p>Environmental health also refers to preventing destruction of the environment (which is detrimental to our health and the health of future generations) as well as what steps we can take to protect the environment. </p></div></div><h2 class="sectHeading">​​​​​​​​​​​​How the City helps you​​​​​​​</h2><p>Need advice or help around an environmental health issue? Contact your nearest <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Forms%2c%20notices%2c%20tariffs%20and%20lists/LIST_ENVIRONMENTAL_HEALTH_OFFICES.pdf" target="_blank"> Environmental Health Office</a>.​​ City Health's Environmental Health Department runs a number of programmes that focus on preventing high-risk environmental health issues.</p><p> <strong>These include:</strong></p><ul><li>Cholera Surveillance Programme; </li><li>Pest/Vector Control Programme; </li><li>Recreational Water Quality and Safety Programme; and </li><li>Medical Waste Control Programme. </li></ul><p>In addition to this, we have environmental health practitioners (EHPs) who work behind the scenes to ensure that the food you eat, the water you drink and the air you breathe is not harmful to your health. </p><div class="notification with-heading white-copy yellow bg-darker-grey"><div class="graphic">​ <i class="info citycard">​​</i>​</div><div class="desc"><h4>City Connect</h4><p> Are you a business? <span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-1-0"> </span> <span class="ms-rteThemeForeColor-1-0">Request an <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Request-a-service/Request-an-inspection/Request-an-environmental-health-inspection">environmental health inspection</a> </span>from the City. </p></div></div><p> <strong>Environmental Health Practitioners working for the City<br></strong>During 2014/15, the City of Cape Town’s EHP monitoring and evaluation projects included the following:</p><ul><li>3 311 water samples taken – 100% compliance with national quality standards</li><li>7 953 food samples taken – 80% compliance with legislative standards</li><li>1 155 notices issued for non-compliance with food and general health nuisance legislation</li><li>5 035 milk samples taken – 82% compliance with microbiological standards</li><li>13 029 premises inspected for compliance with tobacco legislation – 99% compliance </li><li>78 funeral undertakers’ premises inspected – 100% compliance</li><li>1 116 notices issued to private property owners for clearing of vacant plots – of the 356 who did not comply, the City contracted service providers to clean 294 plots</li><li>7 886 diesel vehicles tested for emissions</li><li>2 641 pre-schools visited to monitor compliance with health legislation </li><li>1 018 health and hygiene projects conducted in 379 informal settlements across the city</li><li>86 625 baiting stations deployed for rodent control in public spaces and vulnerable areas </li></ul>GP0|#f632d22a-9916-4d33-a41a-5a3ea2811f75;L0|#0f632d22a-9916-4d33-a41a-5a3ea2811f75|Tips for staying healthy in your environment;GTSet|#ef3a64a2-d764-44bc-9d69-3a63d3fadea1;GPP|#f227728e-21e0-4124-8d37-5bb94e6a8c44;GPP|#090e430c-3809-42d5-a80b-caea93b2beaf;GPP|#245ec7aa-a528-4cd3-bcac-597c292db711;GP0|#77b03ef1-bb78-4379-9f14-2c9cd29bb2bc;L0|#077b03ef1-bb78-4379-9f14-2c9cd29bb2bc|Tips for staying healthy in your environment;GPP|#03d7df1d-5cbf-4874-a5be-4276bc4cceea;GPP|#df0a3405-0ca1-4617-8047-15a034219fee;GP0|#d5864e31-e959-4128-9105-75c8960f0b66;L0|#0d5864e31-e959-4128-9105-75c8960f0b66|Tips for staying healthy in your environment;GPP|#69af3a35-ae90-45eb-8557-9dcd3cb9880b;GPP|#36dcb5fe-6bfc-4ae9-92d7-8bd08d1f6414;GPP|#af370586-9ba3-404a-9d6e-02066ca42752Learn how to prevent disease and stay healthy in your environment.0

 

 

City Health Management Contact List 104611GP0|#8c7d6035-e7ea-4e28-a6e6-082bc1988a7e;L0|#08c7d6035-e7ea-4e28-a6e6-082bc1988a7e|Contact list;GTSet|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP|#3a03f9b9-d2e9-49b1-92e1-37b654747f82;GPP|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e2023-09-17T22:00:00Z
Common Environmental Health Risks and Diseases Handbook 488690GP0|#dcc8214b-489e-4c99-a7e9-6bc8bda6e154;L0|#0dcc8214b-489e-4c99-a7e9-6bc8bda6e154|Handbook;GTSet|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP|#d8892104-ce90-493e-b813-93c488f4b1d3;GPP|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e2015-12-31T22:00:00Z

 

 

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