Philippines: Groups Urge New President-elect to do More Than Obama on Mercury
Health Care Without Harm SE-Asia – Faye Ferrer, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care said that “P-Noy may do more by signing an Executive Order completely banning mercury in the Philippines, particularly mercury in health care and other unsustainable uses of mercury. But the question is, will he do more?”. more

India: Bio-medical Waste Seized from Ahmedabad Godown
DNA India – The regional team of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) raided a bio-medical waste godown and seized around 100 kg of bio-medical waste and lodged a police complaint against the owner of the godown. Besides, Sanjivani Hospital in Vastrapur is believed to have been given a notice by the GPCB.  more

India: Hospital Dumps Dead Embryo Among Other Medical Waste on Roadside
Mid Day – Pieces of a dead human foetus were spotted lying in a roadside dump in Patparganj, opposite Mother Dairy. When the locals were queried about the origins of the waste that included syringes, gloves, blood-stained cotton and bandages, they pointed to a nearby maternity centre.  more

Asia: Lead Content in Trinkets Alarming
Hindustan Times – According to the report Toxic Trinkets done by Toxics Link, the range of jewellery for children (which includes a huge collection of trinkets), contains different amounts of lead varies. Prashant Rajankar, co-investigator in the report says that, of the 54 samples of various items tested, rings contain the highest amount of lead. Much of the lead is also present in the paints used on the metals. more

Australia: Baby Bottles With BPA to be Phased Out
The Sydney Morning Herald – Baby bottles containing Bisphenol A will be phased out in Australia. The nation's major retail chains have agreed to not introduce new stock of the bottles which contain Bisphenol A. Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler said the phase out, to begin on July 1, followed rising public concern and a safety review ordered by US health regulators. more

India: States Urged to Assess Impacts of Climate Change
The Hindu – The Chairman of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) R.K. Pachauri on Monday urged the North-Eastern states to carry out climate modelling studies to assess the impacts of climate change. The objective was to bring together the important stakeholders in a dialogue on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, and public health, and displacement-related issues and to discuss the State's responsibilities in this regard and the legitimate role that legislators, policy-makers and citizens can play.  more

Nigeria: Federal Government Plans New Laws To Check Dumping of E-Waste
Leadership Editors – The Federal Government said it will soon enact new laws that will regulate the importation and dumping of end-of life electrical/electronic equipment into the country to check the harmful effects of e-waste on the environment. more

Vietnam: Solar-Energy Power Used to Save Lives at Hospital
Vietnam News – HCM City Institute of Physics has installed and successfully brought into operation the first solar integrated photovoltaic system in Tam Ky City Health Clinic in central Quang Nam Province. This system, the first of its kind in Viet Nam, was reported to have effectively supplied electricity to the hospital for nearly a month, especially to emergency areas during unpredictable and day-long power cuts that occur regularly during the hot dry season. more

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