The Importance of Environmental Health
For First Nations, the environment is vital in determining health and well-being. Our environment includes the land, air, water, food, housing and other resources that need to be cared for and considered to sustain healthy children, families and communities.
About FNHA's Environmental Health Work
The FNHA's Environmental Public Health Services (EPHS) Team works in partnership with First Nations communities to identify and prevent environmental public health risks in First Nations communities that could impact the health of community members.
Where public health risks are identified, recommendations are provided to reduce these risks. Through community training, education and awareness, community capacity is increased to achieve a healthy and safe environment. EPHS aims to reach an equivalent or better standard of environmental health as non-First Nations communities. The FNHA EPHS Team provides services to all First Nations communities in the province of BC.
For a complete description of program objectives and components, see Environmental Public Health Overview in the
FNHA Programs and Services Guide.
FNHA Environmental Health includes work in these areas:
Drinking Water Advisories
Drinking Water Safety Program
Environmental Contaminants Program
Environmental Public Health
Indigenous Climate Health Action Program
Wildfire Preparedness
We All Take Care of the Harvest (WATCH) Project
The Role of Environmental Health Officers
Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) provide advice, education, inspections and recommendations to First Nations and their leadership to help them manage public health risks associated with the environment. They collect data and observations to determine whether a public health risk exists, and determine what steps can be taken to improve conditions. Chief and Council are responsible for addressing the recommendations provided.
All EHOs working in First Nations communities are certified by Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors , a minimum requirement in British Columbia.
If you are interested in becoming an Environmental Health Officer, contact your local Environmental Health Officer to talk with them about the work. The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI) maintains a list of schools across Canada that offer special training.
Public Health Resources
