To check environmental hazards in the state, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reiterated his commitment to promoting environmental health practices.

This is in line with the priority accorded to Environment and Health as contained in the Third pillar of the THEMES Agenda for the state, an  acronym that stands for Transportation and Traffic Management; Health and Environmental; Education and Technology; Making Lagos State, a 21st Century Megacity; Entertainment and Tourism as well as Security and Governance.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, assured of the governor’s commitment at an event organised by the Directorate of Environmental Health / Occupational Health and Safety Services which took in Lagos with the theme: “Standing up to protect everyone’s health each and everyday.”

Sanwo-Olu said the THEMES agenda would be religiously and assiduously pursued.

He said the government was serious on this agenda because environmental pollutant could cause health problem.

He said: “According to World Health Organisation (2016), global environmental issues account for more than 12.6 million deaths each year.

“Among the challenges we face are climate changes, deforestation, poor sanitation and traffic congestion, pollution via obnoxious chemicals and biodiversity loss.”

Director, Environmental Health Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Theophilus Ajayi, who represented Abayomi, assured that the various agencies established to monitor environment challenges would not relent in their efforts to nib in the bud  environmental hazards at the remembrance of the World Environmental Health Day for the year.

Director, Epidemiology, Bio-Security and  Global Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam, urged all citizens to support government’s effort at preventing environmental mishaps.