The Malawi Environmental Health Association (MEHA) is an independent charity organization. The association was first registered as Public Health Inspectors Association of Malawi (PHIAM) in 1990 and was changed to Environmental Health Association of Malawi on 23rd June, 2009. The change in the name has been effected to correspond to the change in name of the concerned professionals i.e. Public Health Inspectors are now called Environmental Health Officers (with degrees) and Assistant Environmental Health Officers (with diplomas).

GOAL AND AIMS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Environmental Health (EH) is the assessment and management of environmental influences (e.g. chemical, physical, biological, social and psychosocial factors) on human health. This entails the study of water and food safety and hygiene (including production, distribution and fitness for human consumption), occupational health and safety (including investigation and control of work-related ill health), communicable disease (including investigation, control and prevention), the built environment (including homes, workplaces and public spaces) and environmental protection (including the control of the air, land and water pollution). EH is about taking a preventative approach to tackling disease and ill-health rather than relying only on the curative approach.

The goal of MEHA therefore is to make Malawi free from diseases arising from poor environmental factors (e.g. cholera, dysentery, typhoid, malaria, Bilharzia and other Worm Infections, Conjuctivitis, Scabies and injuries) and deaths which could arise due to poor environmental health.

The main aims of the association are to:

 a) promote the objectives of Environmental Health Sciences and related subjects through:

   · Holding of meetings for hearing communications of Environmental Health and related health matters.

  · Holding of workshops and seminars and participates in conferences for the consideration and discussions of matters relating to environmental health   and the environment at large.

  · Holding of courses of instructions, alone or with interested bodies and institutions.

  · Arranging courses for exhibition of objects, apparatus and appliances of environmental health interest.

  · Publication and / or distribution, amongst its members and those interested, written or printed articles relating to environmental health or processings of the Association.



b) To promote and encourage professional efficiency and ethics and advancement of the members of the association through:

  · Liaising with training instutions on quality training in environmental health desired for Malawi as a nation.

  · Setting and conducting professional examination for personnel to conduct the profession of environmental health, whether trained locally or abroad.

  · Issuing code of conduct  guidelines to members of the association.

  · Where a member has been infringed in the course of pursuing his/her job as per code of conduct, to legally assist and abide by the member throughout any law suit which might occur.

  · Finding places of higher learning and solicit for priority funding for members of the association.

  · To invest association’s funds.


c) To promote high standards of Water quality, Waste Water Disposal, Air Pollution Control, Noise Control, Occupational Health, Basic Sanitation and Hygiene in both urban and rural settings of Malawi through:

· causing to inspect, receive reports of standards of any premises in Malawi and discuss with relevant authorities and owners course for improvements.

· causing to publish warnings of a premises injurious to environmental/public health.

· educating and supporting Malawians to safeguard, improve and maintain high standards of environmental health so as to avoid diseases like Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid, Malaria, Bilharzia and other Worm Infections, Conjuctivitis, Scabies and injuries and deaths which could arise due to poor environmental health.


d) To establish relationship, as long as approved by two – thirds majority vote, when and where desirable, with such bodies, local or foreign, governmental or non-governmental, which shall advance the course of the association and the public it would like to serve.

e) To establish a national executive committee and other committees, as may be required from time to time, with powers to constitute various categories of membership of the association, to determine qualifications or requirement for membership of such categories.

f) To acquire funds, land or any tenure with power to sell, lease, mortgage or erect buildings for the smooth running of the Association and advancement of its ideals.

g) To accept gifts, endowments or bequests made to the Association, generally, or for any particular purpose of any specified object or objects connected with the association or advancement of environmental/public health.

MEMBERSHIP

 
Eligible members of the association are Environmental Health Officers trained at the University of Malawi or its equivalent and Assistance Environmental Health Officers trained at the Malawi College of Health Sciences or its equivalent
Eligible Associate Members are Health Assistants who have completed Health Assistants training at any recognized institution and other officers Environmental health related certificates from recognized institutions.

REGISTRATION

Every person wishing to become a member shall make an application in writing and shall deposit together with such a written document a registration fee as may be prescribed from time to time