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| Editorial |
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Dear Members,
Last Friday, almost unnoticed, apart from scientists and climate
experts, we have seen the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere
surpass 400 parts per
million. Several million years ago earth had this
level, but that was before humans were around. Scientists identified
350 parts per million (ppm) as a safe level for life on earth and we
need to reverse this trend in order to avoid catastrophic impacts. As
we only have models that simulate the effects, we do not know what life
will be like at 400 ppm and beyond. Therefore all our work, EU and
global policies and our individual actions, need to address the new
climate reality. Energy savings and sustainable development are not
simply nice add-ons, they are a must for human survival. Let us know
what your organisation or company is doing to address climate reality
for our next newsletter and find the latest round-up of information for
EU policy development and member activities below.
Best wishes,
Anja Leetz
Executive Director, HCWH Europe |
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Policy
Updates
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Pharmaceutical
Residues
in Water
On 17th April 2013, the Council of the European Union voted in the
Committee of Permanent Representatives, whose role it is to prepare the
agenda for the Council’s meetings and coordinates the work of
approximately 250 working parties. The agreement was struck a couple of
weeks earlier between the European Parliament, Council and Commission
on the Council Directive’s proposal on priority substances in water.
The agreed text will add 12 new chemicals to a list of 33 identified
hazardous chemicals (“priority substances list”) leaving out the three
proposed pharmaceuticals, which will be included only in a watch list.
This means that the proposed pharmaceuticals will not be controlled in
water but Member States will have the obligation to monitor them once a
year. more |
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Medical
Devices
The debate in the European Parliament and Council on the Medical Device
Package has begun. In the European Parliament, the Committee for the
Environment (ENVI) is the leading committee with Internal Market and
Employment also contributing their perspective. HCWH Europe has brought
the attention of EU Parliamentarians to chemicals classified as
Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMR) and Endocrine Disrupting
Chemicals (EDCs) in medical devices. We have also organised an event in
the European Parliament that will take place 22nd March 2013 and
focuses on the proposal for a Regulation on Medical Devices. more. |
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Endocrine
Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)
In a plenary session on 13th March 2013, the European Parliament
adopted a report on the protection of public health from Endocrine
Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). With the report by Swedish EU
Parliamentarian Åsa Westlund, it is the first time in more than two
decades that the Parliament has addressed chemicals that can disrupt
our hormone system. The report calls on the EU to devise ambitious
legislation to minimise risks from EDC exposure and protect human
health and the environment. The European Commission is currently
working on a proposal, revising the EU strategy on EDCs and is working
on defining new criteria for identifying EDCs. more. |
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Publications
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Globalisation,
Climate Change, and Human Health
The global scale, interconnectedness, and economic intensity of
contemporary human activity are historically unprecedented, as are many
of the consequent environmental and social changes. These global
changes fundamentally influence patterns of human health, international
health care, and public health activities. more |
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Scientific
evidence of Health Effects from Coal Use in Energy Generation
A new global study of the health impacts caused by air pollution due to
burning coal for electricity production estimates the death toll at
210,000 people each year—as well as two million serious illnesses, and
151 million minor illnesses.
The study, by researchers from the Chicago School of Public Health at
the University of Illinois, is a scientific literature review of all
recent peer-reviewed reports and papers from biomedical literature
around the world. more. |
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Sustainable
System-wide Commissioning - how a whole system approach leads to more
sustainable healthcare
A
new guide to sustainable commissioning has been published by Forum for
the Future, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, and the NHS
Institute for Innovation and Improvement. The guide and associated
tools are aimed at Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) that want to
deliver system-wide commissioning which will, as a consequence, lead to
healthcare services that operate in a more sustainable way. Explicitly
considering the wider system within which services are embedded and
making improvements to services with a view to this broader context,
will lead to more sustainable healthcare. more. |
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Member
Updates
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The
Ecological Council
The Ecological Council (Det Økologiske Råd), a Danish NGO and academic
organisation dealing with environmental policy on a scientific basis,
whilst informing and opening up a dialogue with both politicians and
the general public, has launched the video Hazardous Chemicals in our
Blood. The film explores the concerns related to endocrine disruptors. (Short
Version) (Long
Version) |
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WECF
delivers more than 30,000 signatures to ‘Stop EDCs in toys’
On 9th April 2013, Women in Europe for a Common Future in France (WECF)
delivered their petition "Stop endocrine disruptors in toys" signed by
more than 30,000 people, to French Health and Environment Ministers. more. |
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Global
Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH)
Global Green and Healthy Hospitals – the worldwide HCWH–led initiative
to reduce healthcare's environmental footprint is growing in leaps and
bounds. They are releasing case studies from around the world each
month, taking on new members every week, and have just launched a
revised version of their GreenHospitals.net website. more. |
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Open
Calls
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European
Health Award 2013
The European Health Award highlights and rewards an initiative
involving collaborative working in at least two European countries,
which contributes in a clear and significant way to meeting some of the
challenges facing Europe such as disparities in health status, access
to services and the provision of treatment within Europe. more |
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| Events |
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Oxford,
United Kingdom:
CleanMed Europe 2013 (Early-bird tickets are still available!)
Date:
17-19 September 2013
CleanMed Europe is the only European conference on sustainability
within the healthcare sector, addressing the environmental impact of
the health care sector on a local, regional, and global level.
Key topics: Pathways to sustainable
healthcare through greening hospitals and clinics, low-carbon
technologies, leaner systems and preventative measures.
Authorities.
Who should attend?: Health and
social care professionals and managers, people from healthcare
infrastructure (estates and facilities, finance, IT, energy,
procurement and waste), patient leaders, industry leaders, researchers
and experts in sustainability. more |
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Gothenburg,
Sweden:
HPH Conference 2013
Date:
22 - 24 May 2013
The 21st International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals and
Health Services (HPH) focuses on approaches and tools to develop more
health oriented health services.
Key topics: The development of a
more health-oriented health service based on the modern evidence on the
mind-body connection. The elements will include empowerment for
patients, health promoting environments, culture and health, nature and
health and much more.
Who should attend?: All health care
professionals and interested parties alike. more |
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Oslo,
Norway:
IHF World Hospital Congress
Date:
18 - 20 June 2013
Key topics: New health care models,
new technology and access to health services.
Oslo2013 is the forum in which leaders, policy makers and clinicians
from all over the world will share their experiences and best practices
in healthcare delivery.
Who should attend?: All top
officials from the major international healthcare organisations. more |
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Climate
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Commission
moves forward on climate and energy towards 2030
On 27th March 2013, the European Commission adopted a Green Paper on "A
2030 framework for climate and energy policies". This document launches
a public consultation lasting until 2 July, allowing Member States,
other EU institutions and stakeholders to express their views; for
example on the type, nature and level of potential climate and energy
targets for 2030, but also on other important aspects of EU energy
policy in a 2030 perspective. more |
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Chemicals
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EDC-free
campaign website launched by coalition of public interest groups
An informal coalition of European public interest groups, concerned
about how endocrine disruptors (EDCs) may be harming health, has
recently launched an EDC Free website outlining a campaign call to
action for an EDC Free Europe.
The diverse group of more than 25 campaign partners including trade
unions, public health and healthcare professionals, advocates for
cancer prevention, environmentalists and women’s groups launched a
campaign call for action via a new website and social media tools. more |
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New
information from REACH registrations extends the SIN List
The SIN List has today been updated to version 2.1, adding additional
chemicals to the list of Substances of Very High Concern identified by
ChemSec. The new additions are mainly substances that are carcinogenic,
mutagenic or toxic to reproduction.
Besides new information from REACH registrations dossiers, the SIN
update also includes substances newly classified as carcinogenic,
mutagenic or toxic to reproduction according to the EU CLP regulation.
Also, a few substances recently agreed by EU member states as
Substances of Very High Concern and included on the Candidate List have
been added. more. |
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Mercury
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Report
of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to prepare a global
legally binding instrument on mercury on the work of its fifth session
The fifth and final session of the intergovernmental negotiating
committee was held in Geneva from 13 to 18 January 2013. With the
Executive Director stating that the significant progress made on a
range of issues over the previous four years gave grounds for optimism
for the outcome of the fifth and final session. Considering this, there
was a strong urge to finalize a draft mercury instrument for
endorsement by the Governing Council and for signature at a diplomatic
conference to be held in Japan later that year. more |
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