With scientists predicting that a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections will hit South Africa towards the end of this year, GreenFlag Association exposure scientists and medical specialists say that the number of infections can be limited by combining an intensified vaccination roll-out programme with a diligent focus on clean air and ventilation of indoor spaces. Read the…
Some churches in South Africa are going “underground” in response to the Covid-19 restrictions placed on them – and in doing so, risking the lives of the congregations, they aim to serve, writes Norman Khoza, the chairman of GreenFlag Association. Churches feel targeted by the restriction on their numbers, as there is no scientific basis to…
Catch Garth Hunter, a director on the International Occupational Hygiene Association board, representing Southern Africa (SAIOH), and a panellist at GreenFlag, getting the ventilation message out on eNCA. Watch it here.
The COVID third wave has ripped terrifyingly through Johannesburg and other communities and is now here. Hospitals in the Western Cape are reaching capacity, and we’re now in Stage 4 lockdown to avoid a similar catastrophe in our own city and province in the days ahead. Read the full article on the Cape Jewish Chronicle.
The Great Stink, London, 1858. Human effluent overflows the streets and gutters of the biggest metropolis in the world. The Thames has become a frightening, murky cesspool at the heart of the great city. Fixing the Great Stink in this way reduced cholera and other waterborne disease, and lead to huge improvements in public health,…
A well-ventilated space is not created simply by opening a window. In many places where people gather (such as large open-plan offices or restaurants), there are no windows, or people are understandably reluctant to keep windows open when the weather is cold or rainy. For the past year, we have been following strict protocols to…
During late 1996, I performed a health risk assessment within a rural hospital located on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. I was completely taken by surprise by their TB ward. It was a confusing and almost disorientating sight. It comprised a long rectangular building lined on both sides with large floor to ceiling windows. The bright…
The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Faculty of Health Sciences is ecstatic to be part of the GreenFlag Project which has been initiated by the Environmental Health Sciences Programme from the Community Health Studies Department. Dr Ivan Niranjan, Head of the Department of Environmental Health at DUT and panellist on the panel of experts of…
With its natural abundance and family-friendly activities, the KZN South Coast is an established tourist-driven economy with many businesses reliant on incoming visitors and tourism in general. In its ongoing efforts to retain the area as a top destination, Ugu South Coast Tourism has sought input from one of the country’s leading occupational health experts,…
The airflow in 20 public spaces in Durban have been issued with GreenFlag certification as part of a pilot scheme to roll out the clean air assurance in the province. Issued by the GreenFlag Association, the certificates do for buildings what blue flag status does for beaches — assuring visitors of safety. Co-founder of the…