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| Featured News |
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Greening the Health Sector at Rio+20
In an event co-organized by Health Care Without Harm, the WHO and the Sustainable Development Unit of England's
National Health Service, and sponsored by the United States Department of State, four panelists discussed how
the health sector can play a leading role in promoting sustainability by
reducing its environmental footprint, thereby also promoting public health. Panelists discussed the Global Green
and Healthy Hospitals Network, a worldwide initiative to bring together hospitals, health systems
and health organizations to reduce their environmental footprint and promote public
environmental health. View the full video of the event |
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| Asia |
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Philippines: Chemical Substitution and Management to Pilot in Hospitals
After successfully engaging Philippine hospitals to phase out the use
of mercury-containing medical devices, HCWH South East Asia is now focusing identifying more chemicals
to substitute in Philippine hospitals. With support from the Swedish Chemicals Agency and SAICM, HCWH will
identify harmful chemicals used in some hospital procedures and products, source safer alternatives for these,
and pilot at least two hospitals for chemical substitution. The project, which will also educate hospital workers
and other stakeholders on safe chemicals management,
includes a parallel initiative in Argentina. more |
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| Latin America |
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Mexico and Argentina: Health Systems Join Global Green Healthy Hospitals
The Health Secretariat of Mexico City, which manages 33 hospitals, has joined the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals as a Founding Member. At the same time, two major health systems in Argentina joined the Network. The Public Health System of Argentina's second largest city, Rosario, which is comprised of six major hospitals, numerous health centers, laboratories and emergency services became a Founding Member. And the Health Secretariat of San Juan Province, consisting of 16 public hospitals, 150 health centers and 3 hospitals under construction, has also become a Founding Member. more |
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| Africa |
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South Africa: groundWork Leads Seminar on Sustainable Health Care Waste Management
HCWH partner organization, groundWork, in partnership with eThekwini Metro Municipality and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Health,
began the first of many workshops for the public health sector. Approximately 110 health professionals from the various spheres
of the public health sector in the KZN region, gathered to listen and engage with issues of health care waste risk management (HCRWM) more |
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| Featured Partner |
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Global Common Statement for a Toxics-Free Future Endorsers
NGOs from around the world endorsed the Global Common Statement for a Toxics-Free Future including
Health Care Without Harm, International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), The International Society of
Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), the Northern Alliance for Sustainability, Pesticide Action Network (PAN),
Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF), IPEN, Friends of the Earth (FOE), the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA).
The Common Statement was developed to create greater awareness of the increasing amounts of toxic chemicals in
the environment, our food, communities and children.
more |
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| Event Calendar |
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Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network Launches
Australia, August 2012 more
China, August 2012
Brazil,
September 2012 more
Europe, September 2012 (at CleanMed
Europe) more
Philippines, November 2012
For more information, please contact, globalnetwork@hcwh.org. |
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Malmö, Sweden: CleanMed Europe
Dates: 26 - 28 September 2012 more
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| Editorial |
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Scaling-up!
HCWH's work to green the health sector around the world is scaling-up, gaining momentum, expanding its scope and reaching new heights.
This year we are launching Global Green and Healthy Hospitals—a worldwide network of hospitals, health systems and health organizations already representing the interests of more than 3,500 hospitals on every continent.
Founding Members include national hospital associations in Australia and Indonesia, government health systems in Argentina, England, Mexico and Thailand, public and private hospitals and health systems in Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Philippines and Nepal. In August, the Construction Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association plans on joining the network and launching efforts China; this association represents more than 7,000 hospitals.
Leading the effort in the United States, and providing a positive example for the rest of the Network, is the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI) with 11 leading health systems and more than 500 hospitals participating. HHI is a founding member and the US representative of Global Green and Healthy Hospitals. Just recently, HHI leaders, including HCWH's President, Gary Cohen, helped organize a White House symposium on greening the health sector. You can read more about it here, along with lots of other exciting news from around the world.
Enjoy the newsletter!
Josh Karliner
International Team Coordinator
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| U.S. and Canada |
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US: White House Highlights Healthier Hospitals Initiative
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) facilitated discussions among health care leaders,
highlighting the Healthier Hospitals Initiative's (HHI) successful efforts to reduce the environmental footprint
of hospitals, lower costs and improve patient health by incorporating sustainability initiatives into their business
models. The Healthier Hospitals Initiative
was co-founded by HCWH and is, itself a Founding Member of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network.
Read the press release
and check out HCWH President Gary Cohen's commentary
on the White House blog. |
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| Global News |
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Mercury Treaty Risks Failure; Clock Ticking
HCWH participated in the most recent round of mercury treaty negotiations in Uruguay in June. As the talks concluded,
the two major NGO networks lobbying for a strong global mercury treaty expressed serious concern about the direction of
the negotiations. Suggesting that the treaty may legitimize increased mercury pollution and disregard public health concerns
raised by developing countries, both IPEN and the Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) issued press releases raising alarms.
With the lack of agreement on many major issues, including the phase-out of mercury medical devices, the treaty process is
at risk of failing to achieve a global
accord that will protect public and environmental health from mercury pollution. more |
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| Europe |
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HCWH Develops International Project on Fair and Ethical Trade for the Health Sector
Health Care Without Harm Europe is developing a new international project on fair and ethical trade for the health sector to raise
awareness on how products are produced and traded globally and within the European market. In order to determine the focus of the research
of the project HCWH is currently looking for data on the most commonly purchased products (in terms of quantity and cost) of
European hospitals. If you represent a hospital,
a procurer, a health association or a local authority that could help us to get aggregated data, please get in contact with Grazia Cioci
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| New Resources |
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Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda
The Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda is a comprehensive framework for hospitals and health systems to reduce their ecological footprint and play a leading role in addressing major environmental health challenges - such as chemical contamination,
medical waste and climate change - in the hospital setting and the broader community.
Available in Spanish, English, Portuguese and Chinese |
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Training Video on Mercury Waste in Hospitals
HCWH has released a video meant to be part of training program in hospitals around the world aiming to eliminate mercury and safely manage and store mercury waste while governments search for a more permanent solution. The video was sponsored by UNEP and the Government of Norway.
watch video |
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Known Negative Impacts of Dental Mercury Surpass Those of Alternatives
The Research Collaborative, of the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, the Healthier Hospitals Initiative and Health Care Without Harm released the study today, "Mercury in Dental Amalgam and
Resin-Based Alternatives: A Comparative Health Risk Evaluation," which compared the health and environmental
impacts of mercury dental amalgam with those of the alternatives currently available in the United States. more |
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