The Roles, Impact and Challenges of Environmental Health Services in Communicable Disease Outbreak Response Focused on South Africa
A Systematic Review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19489194 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ledile Francina Malebana (0000-0003-2683-2377, Tshwane University of Technology), Maasago Mercy Sepadi (0000-0002-7236-9160, Tshwane University of Technology), Matlou Ingrid Mokgobu (Tshwane University of Technology) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 288 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/urbansci10050288 |
| OpenAlex | W7161819902 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 52 |
Environmental health services play a critical role in communicable disease outbreaks by addressing environmental determinants of disease transmission. However, the scope, impact, and challenges of Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP)-led interventions remain insufficiently documented. Aim and objectives: This systematic review objectively assessed the role, impacts, and challenges of municipal environmental health services in outbreak response, with a focus on South Africa, to inform the standardisation and strengthening of disease surveillance and prevention. Methods: The PICO framework guided the development of search terms and research questions. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched for English-language, full-text studies published between 2010 and 2024. Studies not meeting these inclusion criteria were excluded. Screening and reporting followed PRISMA guidelines, and data were synthesised using a standardised extraction tool. Results: A total of 58 studies were included. The key EHP functions identified were water quality monitoring, vector control, food safety, waste management, and outbreak response. While South Africa demonstrated comparatively advanced systems, persistent implementation challenges remain, including the integration of environmental monitoring with disease surveillance. The findings emphasised the need for integrating environmental monitoring with disease surveillance systems and integrating WASH and climate-responsive strategies. Conclusions and recommendation: The review recommends strengthening guidelines and advancing evidence-based practice. Enhancing EHP roles within surveillance frameworks is essential for improving outbreak preparedness and public health resilience
Communicable disease · Disease · Non-communicable disease · Outbreak · Preparedness · Psychological intervention · Public health · Systematic review · Data-Driven Disease Surveillance · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research · Zoonotic diseases and public health
Infectious disease in an era of global change
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Environmental Surveillance as a Tool for Identifying High-risk Settings for Typhoid Transmission
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks in Sub-Saharan Africa
Diarrhoea among Children Aged 5 Years and Microbial Drinking Water Quality Compliance
Survey of the perceptions of key stakeholders on the attributes of the South African Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
Diarrhoeal diseases in Soweto, South Africa, 2020
Environmental health practitioners potentially play a key role in helping communities adapt to climate change
Outbreak response operations during the US measles epidemic, 2017–19
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |