Protecting the Health of Canadians One Inspection at a Time

2013 marks the 100^th Anniversary of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors

WINNIPEG, MB, April 19, 2013 /CNW/ - One hundred years after Canada's leading governing body for certified public health inspectors was formed, the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI) continues to serve the community by ensuring the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe, are safe.

In the 100 years since its founding, certified public health inspectors have played a major role in protecting Canadians and promoting public health by inspecting public facilities and educating the community. Certified public health inspectors are employed by federal, provincial and local governments, First Nation Tribal Councils, and the private sector, and are involved in the inspection of food premises, recreational water, healthcare and childcare facilities, personal service settings, drinking water systems, and implementing disease and health hazard control.

CIPHI is planning numerous celebrations throughout 2013, including the feature event, the 2013 Annual Educational Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba on June 23rd to 26th, 2013. CIPHI looks forward to engaging communities across Canada throughout the year to celebrate this laudable and important milestone. For more information, visit www.ciphi.ca or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ciphi100 and Twitter at https://twitter.com/CIPHI100.

Quotes

"Our membership represents a significant portion of the front line public health interventions that have lead to an increase in life expectancy and enjoyment for all Canadians over the past two centuries. This is a challenge that we have risen to meet in the past and will continue to do so into the future."
Phi Phan, National President, Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors

Quick Facts

• Public health inspectors have played a key role in several of Canada's defining public health issues. During the Walkerton water crisis that caused 7 deaths and sickened thousands, public health inspectors likely prevented further illness by educating private well owners on well water safety.
• In 2002, Canada had the first confirmed human cases for West Nile Virus in parts of Quebec and Ontario. Public health inspectors promoted mosquito source reduction strategies to reduce the risk.
• In 2008, the Canada Listerosis outbreak occurred. Public health inspectors visited thousands of food premises to ensure the contaminated food products were removed from store shelves.

About CIPHI

The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI) is the only professional association for Environmental Public Health Professionals (EPHPs) who hold the CPHI(C) credential in Canada (incorporated 1934). CIPHI's mandate is to advance the profession, science, and field of environmental public health through certification, advocacy, education and professional competencies. CIPHI, like no other organization, covers a continuum of public health areas, including food safety, safe water, on-site wastewater disposal, indoor air quality, infectious diseases prevention and control, epidemiology, tobacco reduction, and many more environmental health initiatives. CIPHI's mission is to protect the health of Canadians and to represent all EPHPs across Canada.

 

SOURCE: Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors

For further information:

Media Contacts:

English         
Phi Phan
Tel:  [phone] or 1.780.668.0478| Email: [e-mail]

Français 
Stéfane Gravelle
Tel: [phone] or 1.204.761.5786  | Email: [e-mail]