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| In this issue |
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| Global News |
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Asia Regional Conference on Mercury–free Health Care
Gathered in Manila, more than 100 representatives of ministries of health and environment, health professional organizations, hospitals, and other health sector organizations from ten Asian countries came together to address policy and technical issues regarding the substitution of mercury–based medical devices. The group made the following declaration. more |
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| Latin America |
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Chile: Ministry of Health Issues National Guidance for Mercury–free Health Care
With 27 hospitals already substituting mercury–based medical devices as part of the Mercury–Free Hospitals Project, Chile's Ministry of Health has moved toward a national substitution policy. With 60% of the country's hospitals having already signed a pledge to switch over, the Ministry has issued a guidance document to take all 206 of the country's public hospitals mercury–free by the end of 2011. Read the Policy (in Spanish)
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| Asia |
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Mongolia: National Policy to Ban Mercury Medical Devices
The Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia have issued a Joint Order to "ban further procurement of the mercury containing thermometer, sphygmomanometer and dental amalgam.” read the Joint Order |
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Bangladesh: Seminar on Medical Waste Management
HCWH, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) and Family Health International (FHI) organised a seminar entitled "Medical Waste Management in Bangladesh" at ICDDR,B's Sasakawa auditorium in Dhaka to raise awareness about proper medical waste management. more |
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Japan: Solidarity Statement
The participants of the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care gathered in Manila expressed their profound solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Japan during this moment of crisis. |
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| Africa |
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South Africa: Medical Waste Crisis
HCWH partner groundWork expressed grave concerns around the ongoing dumping of medical waste across the country. South Africa faces a growing crisis of capacity to deal with the 36 thousand tons of waste produced by the health sector annually. more |
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| Featured Member |
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Argentina: Fernández Hospital
HCWH member Hospital Fernández, 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 |
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| Event Calendar |
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São Paulo, Brazil: 4th State Seminar on Healthy Hospitals
Dates: 25th and 26th, September, 2011
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Workshop on Mercury-Free Health Care in Indonesia
Date: July 5-6, 2011, Denpasar, Indonesia
Organized by BaliFokus and Health Care Without Harm In collaboration with the World Health Organization Indonesia, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Health.
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| Editorial |
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In the Shadow of a Meltdown
The tsunami in Japan showed the world once again just how vulnerable human civilization is to the whims of nature. The subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushimais also a grim reminder to all of us of the fallibility of our most vaunted technology.
While nuclear power has been touted by some as part of the solution to climate change, it also comes with its own intractable flaws and major environmental health risks–all of which have once again been horrifically highlighted. Health Care Without Harm firmly believes that as we seek to address climate change, we must also move away from nuclear energy if we are to safeguard environmental health.
It is in the shadow of the catastrophe in Japan that all of us who work for a healthier and more sustainable world are now laboring. And it is from this shadow that we are highlighting a few bright rays of hope emanating from disparate corners of the planet – Mongolia, Chile, the Philippines, Bangladesh – where we can see some positive steps to safeguard human and environmental health.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Josh Karliner
International Team Coordinator
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| Featured News – Global |
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Asturias Declaration – A Call to Action
HCWH participated in the first "International Conference on Environmental and Occupational Determinants of Cancer," organized by the World Health Organization and hosted by the Government of Spain. Participants agreed to the Declaration of Asturias – which calls for the primary prevention of environmental and occupational causes of cancer in countries around the world. read the declaration |
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| U.S. and Canada |
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US: Gutting Environmental Regulations will Increase Asthma and its Costs
In a major first–ever report analyzing detailed asthma incidence and cost data, HCWH and two national US nursing organizations conclude that the already staggering human and financial toll of asthma in the US is likely to increase if Congress acts to stop important updates to the Clean Air Act. more |
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| Europe |
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HCWH Comments on EC's Proposal to Restrict Mercury Devices
In Comments to the European Commission, HCWH Europe welcomes the European Chemical Agency proposal for restrictions of mercury–based measuring instruments—particularly sphygmomanometers. more
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| New Resources |
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HCWH New Climate and Health News Service
A brand–new free service that aims to keep health professionals, climate experts and decision makers informed on the latest developments, trends, resources and events around the world. subscribe |
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HCWH Launches Mercury Guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese
In order to scale-up the replacement of mercury–based medical devices around the world, HCWH has put together a guide that systematizes the basic steps in mercury substitution. The guide is being translated into Bahasa, Thai and Chinese. more
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