Philippines: Thou Shall Not Burn
HCWH – Hospitals around the Philippines are making a firm stand against any planned move from the government and the private sector to bring back incineration. In 2011, the Philippine Heart Center and San Lazaro Hospital were the first to unfurl a black banner with the statement BURN NOT in their hospital façade. This time, all 12 hospitals owned, co-owned and administered by St. Paul de Chartres are joining the action. In 2011, HCWH Asia released a 3-part Public Service Announcement on incineration: Burn Not, which cautions the national government to stop burning and the local governments to shun from legitimizing waste-to-energy or incinerators-in-disguise contracts.  more

India: Pollution Control Board Toughens Stand on Bio-medical Waste
IBN Live – The Pollution Control Board (PCB) said it was its duty to protect environment and public health by ensuring that bio-medical waste was disposed of in a safe manner. PCB member-secretary BSS Prasad maintained that mandatory monitoring would help improve the reputation of the institutions concerned.  more

Uruguay: Baby Bottles With BPA to be Banned
180 – Uruguay has joined the growing list of South American countries planning a ban on imports of plastic baby bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA). The health ministry said the ban, which it called a “precautionary measure,” was to bring rules on the controversial chemical into line with those planned or in effect in Canada, the European Union and in the other Mercosur countries, where Argentina and Brazil already have already taken action.  more

Brazil: Seminars on Mercury Free Health Care
Saude Sem Dano – HCWH and partner organization Projecto de Hospitais Saudaveis organized a series of Mercury Free Health Care seminars in the cities of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Both were part of a joint effort by several public and private institutions to raise awareness and prepare the health sector to meet the challenge of global phase-out of mercury.  more

Ghana: Women are More Vulnerable to Effects of Climate Change
Business Ghana – Climate change watchers have observed that women are more vulnerable to the effects of the phenomenon because they are mostly poor and depend on raw natural resources for livelihood. According Dr Ellen Lawson, of the Institute of Environment and Sanitation, University of Ghana (UG), a study has confirmed that climate change often impacts the areas that form the basis of livelihoods for most women such as farming, fetching of firewood and processing of fish for sale among others.  more

India: Indore Gears up to Streamline E-waste Disposal
Times of India – Indoreans will have a designated place to dispose e-waste (electronic waste). Having realized about health and environmental hazards, Madhya Pradesh government has decided to streamline e-waste disposal from May 1 by opening collection centres in Indore.  more

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