Environment & Health Research Unit

Preface and acknowledgements
Household Environment and Health in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

E. P. Thomas, J. R. Seager, E. Viljoen, F. Potgieter, A. Rossouw, B.Tokota, G. McGranahan, M. Kjellén.
Medical Research Council, South Africa; University of Port Elizabeth, South Africa;
Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden

This report forms part of the Stockholm Environment Institute™s (SEI) work supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), on household environmental problems in Southern Cities. Studies in Accra, São Paulo and Jakarta were initiated in 1991 and the study of Port Elizabeth, in 1997, soon after the first democratic elections in South Africa.

The present report on Port Elizabeth, like the initial reports of the other cities, explores a range of topics under the broad heading of household environment and health. The topics include, socio-demographics, housing, indoor air quality, water supply, sanitation, external environments and related health problems.

This study required much hard work and commitment from a range of people for which we are very thankful.The Mayor of Port Elizabeth, Mr N Faku and Town Clerk, Mr G Richards and the Council™s Community Services Committee responded positively to the suggestion that Port Elizabeth should be the fourth city in the SEI series of studies. Within the Health Department, the Medical Officer of Health, Dr E du Plessis and Mr A Steyn, Director Environmental Health, provided generous support, encouragement and interest in the initiative. In the Environmental Health Directorate, Mr. G Pozyn, Mr. WNtlabezo and a team of environmental health officers were involved clarifying issues to be explored in the study and in the collection of data. Other staff of the Port Elizabeth Municipality who were most helpful were those in the water quality testing laboratory of the City Engineers Department, under the guidance of Miss J de Leeuw, who managed the analysis of the samples for the 200 household water quality study.

The Steering Committee made up of representatives of local government and from civic organisations, elected at the launch forum, provided valuable support, comment and guidance regarding issues and the appropriate process to be followed.

A range of other researchers has made contributions either informally or through pieces of commissioned work as background reports. In addition, the ongoing secretarial support of Mrs. Susan Hon of the National Urbanisation and Health Programme of the MRC and Mrs Maureen Phungwayo, of the Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand, is also much appreciated.

Further information about the multi-city study may be requested from SEI.