Address by Honorable Norris Prevost to primary school’s “March for Healthy Environment”

Congratulations to the Environmental Health Department on the initiative to observe June as Environmental Health Month, under the theme  “Healthy Environment, Healthy People.” Congratulations also to you the students and teachers who are participating in this march. As I marched with you through the streets of Roseau, I was encouraged by the number of persons who came out to look and to hear your message.

I have been asked to address you briefly on the matter of  “Vector Control and Solid Waste Management within the City .“  As Parliamentary Representative for Roseau Central, this matter has been of grave concern to me. Therefore, I have put all else aside, and made it my business to be here in solidarity with you today. I am therefore hopeful that, even if both the Mayor and the Minister of Health gave excuses for their non appearance, that today will mark the beginning of a  new sustained effort by Government and City Council, in partnership with of all of us, to improve vector control and solid waste management in the City of Roseau. Even as I stand here addressing you, if you look behind me, into the Roseau River, you will see the garbage piling up on the banks of the Roseau river, now being exposed by the recently cut grass, which has not been taken away.

Students, Dominicans, The Message I  leave with you today is this:

“A Healthy Environment is Everybody’s Business.” Each of us must be an environmental Health Officer and  each of us must make Everyday environmental Health Day.
Whilst the Government, the City council, the Schools, businesses, the supermarkets, shops, hotels, restaurants, food, fish and meat vendors have a greater responsibility, each of us is responsible for our environment, our health, and the health of our neighbours.

If we believe in today’s theme “Healthy environment, Healthy people”, then whether we are students, teachers or parents, drivers or passengers, managers or cleaners, Ministers, Parl. Reps or voters,  pastors or congregations, everyday each of us must play our part to ensure we keep our environment clean.

As I address you the students who are in this March, I wish to say to you,  if the one thing you learn is that:  “ A Healthy Environment is everybody’s business and I am responsible for keeping my environment clean, then I would give you an A+.”

But we also must learn that our environment is not just  our homes. Everywhere we go is “Our environment”. The School yard, the playing field, the streets we walk on, the beach, the bus stop and the bus we ride on, the offices and businesses where our parents work, all these are our environment, once we go there. And so we have a part to lay in keeping it clean.

THE PUBLIC DUTY-

Bring back Daily Flushing of Drains and Daily collection of Rubbish in Roseau.
But you might ask what responsibility does the  Government  and the Roseau City Council have in ensuring that we have a  Healthy Environment and how are they carrying out that responsibility ?

Well the Govt and the City Council have a Public Duty to do those things that the individuals cannot do for themselves, for example: flushing the street drains in the City, collecting the Garbage and taking it to the dump site, spraying and baiting the public places to control mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and other vectors. I leave you to judge how well they are carrying out these functions.

I recall, when I was a boy, the Town Council would wash down the street  drains of Roseau and collect the rubbish daily. I remember too, that the paid health officers were visiting even the private homes in Roseau, on a regular basis. And I remember pubic places, businesses and homes would have a Health Card posted up in a visible place, which the Environmental health officer would sign when he visited, or when he carried out a vector control measure.

I believe that bringing back the practice of daily garbage collection and daily flushing of the street drains would make Roseau a much healthier City and reduce the threat of such killer diseases as leptospirosis, which recently killed two young men, in the prime of their life. Finally, students, Dominicans, lets remember, its “ “ Our ” Environment, not “ The ” Environment. Let’s each stake our claim.