Argentina: Fernández Hospital, Going Green
HCWH – Health Care Without Harm member Hospital Fernandez, a 425 bed public hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has taken several steps to green its operations, becoming a model for other health care facilities in the Latin America region.  more

Saudi Arabia: Fine For Improper Disposal of Medical Waste
Saudi Gazette – The Mayor’s Office has fined a private company and impounded its vehicle after it was spotted by the office’s inspectors disposing of hazardous medical waste at the city’s garbage dump. The city also approached the hospital where the waste originated and instructed it to commit to disposal in a proper manner. more

Philippines: Artists Unite For Mercury Phase-out in Health Care
HCWH – Health Care Without Harm - Southeast Asia is running a series of advertisements dubbed "Artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care." As a consequence, local celebrities came together in a campaign that aims to phase-out mercury in health care and ultimately pushes for importation ban on mercury-containing thermometers and sphygmomanometers. more

China: Will Ban Plastic Bottles to Feed Babies
Shanghai Daily – Baby feeding bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA) are to be banned, China's Ministry of Health said. The ministry has drafted a regulation (published on the ministry's official website) for public comment but it didn't say when the draft will come into force. The regulation bans BPA from anything used to contain food or drink for children. more

US: Mercury Thermometers Face Final Phase Out
US News – Federal and state authorities have lobbied since 2002 for bans on medical mercury thermometers. It's already almost impossible to buy one for home use. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and environmental and industry groups are targeting industrial users of mercury thermometers. more

Asia: UN Resident Coordinator Says Climate Change is a Serious Problem for Central Asia
eng.24 – According to Neal Walker, UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic, climate change is a serious problem for Central Asia. For Walker, studies shows that Central Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change due to glacier meltdown. The rapid melting of glaciers will affect all sectors of the economy, affecting regional relations and human health as well.  more

US: In New Video, Health Executives Urge Colleagues to Develop Sustainable Operations
HCWH and PGH – Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth, in support of the Healthier Hospital Initiative, have produced the first in a series of videos and other materials that will help hospital administrators and C-Suite personnel understand the urgency and importance of developing sustainable hospital operations. more

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