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| In this issue |
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| Global News |
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Cancun Statement: Climate Change and Health, the Time to Act is Now
HCWH, together with a coalition of health organizations, presented a Declaration Statement on Climate and Health at the climate negotiations in Cancun in December. The Statement calls on negotiators to take into account the significant human health dimensions of the climate crisis along with the health benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.
more – Summary for the Consideration of Negotiators |
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| Asia |
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Philippines: Local Governments Ordered to Phase–out Mercury in Health Care
HCWH SE Asia welcomed the Department of Interior and Local Government’s issuance of a Memorandum which enjoins local government entities to comply with the Department of Health Administrative Order 21 mandating gradual phase–out of mercury–containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions. more |
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| Latin America |
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Brazil: Two States, São Paulo and Santa Catarina, Ban Mercury Medical Devices
The Health Secretariat of São Paulo State has banned the purchase of any equipment containing mercury in hospitals and other health services. In Santa Catarina State mercury thermometers are now banned in hospital systems and pharmacies. More in portuguese: São Paulo - Santa Catarina
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Argentina: Addressing the Problem of Dental Mercury
HCWH Latin America, together with Argentina’s Ministry of Health, the Panamerican Health Organization and the UNDP-GEF Health Care Waste Project, held a "reflection and information exchange session" on addressing the problem of mercury pollution in the health sector stemming from the use of dental amalgam. more |
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| Featured Member |
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Indonesia: Bali Fokus
HCWH Indonesia partner Bali Fokus, is an NGO that works on a variety of sustainable development issues, including community–based sanitation, decentralized solid waste management, small and medium enterprise assistance, sustainable tourism, water supply and toxic free future – including mercury substitution. In coorperation with HCWH, Bali Fokus is now working developing pilot programmes to eliminate mercury from the health care sector. more |
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| Event Calendar |
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2nd SE Asia Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care
Participants from ministries of health, health care institutions and health professionals from throughout Asia are invited to attend. more
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CleanMed 2011 in Phoenix, U.S., April 6–8
CleanMed, the premier conference for sustainable healthcare, will take place April 6–8, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. more |
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| Editorial |
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Global Action for Green Health
Health Care Without Harm works with individual doctors and nurses and hospitals around the world. We also work with health systems and ministries of health in dozens of countries. Just as importantly, we are working on a global level to foster health sector leadership for enviornmental health.
This global action for green health manifests itself in a diversity ways, ranging from participating in the development of international guidelines for health care waste management, to collaborating with the World Health Organization to promote mercury-free health care.
As the features in this newsletter underscore, we are also engaged in a number of inter-governmental treaty negotiations. For instance, we were in Cancun in December, helping lead a health sector contingent advocating for a strong global accord to address climate change – the most significant global threat to human health in the 21st century. And as this newsletter goes to "press," we are in Chiba, Japan advocating for a strong global treaty on mercury that protects public health.
These international agreements will help determine the future landscape in which healthcare evolves. They are also venues where the health sector is increasingly exercising leadership in advocating not only for greener health care, but for a world in which we "first do no harm." HCWH is proud to be in the forefront of this effort.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Josh Karliner
International Team Coordinator
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| Featured News – Global |
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As Governments Negotiate Treaty, Mercury–Free Health Care Moves Forward
For the second round of negotiations on a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC2), HCWH and WHO have released an update which chronicles the significant advances toward mercury–free health care around the world achieved since the negotiations began six months ago.
download update |
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| U.S. and Canada |
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Attacks on EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases "A Threat to Public Health"
HCWH criticized Congressional Republicans’ efforts to roll back environmental regulations that allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in order to protect public health. HCWH President Gary Cohen called on HCWH members and partners to support the EPA’s right to regulate polluting industries in order to curtail climate change. more |
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| Europe |
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Europe: Council Decides to Keep Hazardous Biocides
The EU’s Environment Council adopted a new authorization system for household pesticides and other biocides. HCWH and other environment and health NGOs criticize the approach because as allowing continued widespread circulation of highly toxic consumer products. more
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Europe: NGOs Urge EU Not to Take Back Seat on Mercury Treaty
Environmental and Health NGOs, including HCWH Europe are deeply disappointed by the European Commission’s decision not to propose new restrictions on mercury until a global treaty is signed, in the recently adopted revised EU Mercury Strategy. Instead of showing the way forward, the revised strategy leaves all mercury control to existing EU laws which have been shown to be insufficient, particularly with mercury air emissions.
more |
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| New Resources |
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Solar–powered, Mercury–free Blood Pressure Device for Low–resource Settings
Hypertension, the Journal of the American Heart Association reports on the creation and field testing of this user–friendly, accurate, and inexpensive device for measuring blood pressure. read article
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Video: Tackling Climate Change: The Good News
Many measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have surprising health co–benefits resulting in a reduced burden of disease and a reduction in health care costs. watch video
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