Key Points
- The environmental health workforce is critical to protecting public health and the environment.
- These professionals help ensure healthy communities through the practice of environmental health.
![Hands holding puzzle pieces](/environmental-health-practice/media/images/iStock-1390449948-EH-Practice-about-page-16-9.jpg)
Did you know?
About 1 in 4 environmental health professionals plans to retire within 5 years1, presenting recruitment and workforce development needs.
Describing the workforce helps us identify gaps in staffing and training and prepare to meet future challenges.
Why it matters
Building a stronger environmental health practice is important because
- Environmental health professionals commonly work in multiple program areas, requiring unique technical and scientific expertise.
- Environmental health professionals can leverage data to increase the impact of their services and inform best practices.
- Environmental health efforts often go unnoticed until problems occur (for example, foodborne outbreaks, vector-borne diseases, contaminated water supplies, disasters).
Content Source:
National Center for Environmental Health
- Gerding JA, Landeen E, Kelly KR, Whitehead S, Dyjack DT, Sarisky J, et al. Uncovering environmental health: An initial assessment of the profession's health department workforce and practice. J Environ Health. 2019;81(10):24-33.