Environmental (Commonwealth Union)_ In a significant move to address global staffing shortages in public health, professional bodies representing Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Australia have signed a landmark agreement aimed at easing cross-border practice and bolstering recruitment.
The historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formalised by Mark Elliott, President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), and Melissa Burn, President of Environmental Health Australia (EHA). The agreement establishes a mutual recognition pathway for environmental health professionals to work across both regions, paving the way for increased mobility and collaboration within the profession.
This development comes at a critical time. Environmental health remains one of the most challenging professions to recruit across all four nations involved, with long-standing vacancies and growing concerns about its implications for public health protection. The chronic shortage of qualified EHOs has led to significant gaps in service delivery, particularly in areas such as food safety, housing standards, and environmental regulation.
The agreement follows years of intensive dialogue and competency mapping between the two organisations to ensure professional equivalence. Now complete, the MoU offers a streamlined process for qualified EHOs to transfer their skills and credentials across borders without the usual bureaucratic barriers.
Speaking about the significance of the agreement, CIEH President Mark Elliott said:
“This is a landmark moment for environmental health professionals in our countries. With shared challenges around recruitment and retention, this MoU is a practical, forward-looking step toward safeguarding the future of our profession. It provides new avenues for EHOs to make an impact abroad while supporting communities in need of their expertise.”
Elliott emphasised that the agreement is not just a win for mobility but a much-needed morale boost for a sector under immense pressure. “By opening doors for career movement and global collaboration, we’re strengthening the profession at its core,” he said.
Academic leaders in environmental health have also hailed the agreement as a transformative step. Graeme Mitchell, Environmental Health Programme Leader at Liverpool John Moores University, highlighted its potential to enhance the appeal of environmental health as a career path:
“For those of us deeply invested in the future of the profession, this MoU represents a transformative opportunity. It adds new value to the qualification and broadens the horizon for graduates and professionals alike.”
Melissa Burn, president of EHA, echoed these sentiments. She noted that environmental health is inherently a global concern, and this agreement reflects the profession’s cross-border relevance:
“This MoU recognises the truly international nature of environmental health. It elevates the qualification and makes the profession more attractive, especially for those seeking a dynamic, globally relevant career.”
Professor Kirstin Ross of Flinders University in South Australia hailed the agreement as a template for broader international cooperation.
“This is more than a bilateral pact. It’s a blueprint for other nations to follow one that acknowledges the critical role of environmental health professionals in safeguarding global health,” she said.
Both CIEH and EHA are optimistic that this agreement could inspire similar collaborations with other countries facing parallel recruitment challenges. As climate change, urbanization, and health disparities intensify across the globe, environmental health professionals are becoming increasingly vital. Their expertise spans disease prevention, pollution control, safe housing, and food safety all of which are foundational to public wellbeing.
By enabling professionals to work internationally without jumping through redundant certification hoops, this MoU enriches the profession and supports public health resilience in a rapidly changing world.
As recruitment challenges mount and public health threats grow more complex, this pioneering agreement offers a timely and hopeful step toward a more agile, connected, and robust environmental health workforce—one that’s ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow, no matter where they arise.
