Mercury-free Health Care Is Possible!
With the world’s governments about to start negotiations in June on a global treaty to phase-out mercury use and emissions, the health sector is leading the way.
This month, Argentina and the Philippines, the two countries leading the developing world in substituting mercury-based medical devices with safe, accurate and affordable alternatives, took significant steps to implement and strengthen their national mercury-free health care policies.
On February 16, the Minister of Health of Argentina, Dr. Juan Luis Manzur, issued an Administrative Decision prohibiting “the production, import, sale or free transfer of mercury column blood pressure sphygmomanometers to be used by the general population, medical doctors or veterinarians.” Imports will be halted immediately, and all sales will cease within six months.
At nearly the same time in the Philippines, the country’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Esperanza Cabral announced that her Department had stopped issuing permits to sell mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers. She likewise said that she will work to ban importation of all health products containing mercury.
These aggressive efforts are seen as bolstering initiatives in many other countries including Brazil, Chile, China, India, Mexico and South Africa where hospitals and health care systems are also switching out their mercury-based medical devices. The moves in Argentina and the Philippines also echo successful substitution efforts in the US and the European Union. And they set the stage for a mercury treaty negotiation process by demonstrating that substituting mercury for safer alternatives is, indeed, possible in a wide variety of health care settings.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Josh Karliner
International Team Coordinator
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