Environmental health practice : for today and for the future

In order to gain an insight into the changing role of the environmental health workforce, 40 in-depth, structured interviews were undertaken between July and September 2000. Key informants in environmental health whose interests spanned the broad spectrum of environmental management and human health were interviewed. The thoughtful responses of this specially selected group threw light on the current status of community-based environmental health action. The key informants selected for this study worked either in a specialised area of environmental health, had a strategic planning role in government, represented a community group with a specific environmental health concern, or worked to integrate activities across the other three groups. Interviewees were asked first to identify their priority issues and then to list actions which they believed should be taken to address these issues. Analysis of their responses provides insights into the range of practice in the rapidly changing arena of environmental health.