Greens appeal to P-Noy to take urgent action on mercury pollution

As the executive branch gears up for P-Noy’s first State of the Nation Address, green groups today presented 10 priority action points to the Office of the President to combat mercury pollution in the country. more 

Envi-health group welcomes Ona appointment

Envi-health group Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) welcomes the appointment of Dr. Enrique T. Ona as head of the Department of Health (DoH) and hopes that “the new Secretary will do more than his predecessor.” more 

Mercury falling

Excerpt: "Faye Ferrer talks about the day she went to an outlet of the largest and most popular drug store in the country to find out whether the staff would sell her a mercury-based thermometer. Administrative Order 21 of the Department of Health, issued in July 2008, calls for the phaseout of all mercury-containing devices by September this year."  more 

Mercury high in Japanese town that hunts dolphins

Excerpt: "TAIJI, Japan — Residents of the dolphin-hunting village depicted in Oscar documentary "The Cove" have dangerously high mercury levels, likely because of their fondness for dolphin and whale meat, a government lab said Sunday."  more 

GGHC's Health Care Waste Assessment Interview Guide

This 28-page Guide includes Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 instruments, with interview guides, checklists, and questionnaires. The primary purpose of these tools are to help make a preliminary assessment of the waste systems in the facility. The goal is to gather information that can make the later stages as comprehensive, time-efficient and non-intensive as possible. more 

Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Addressing Climate Change in Health Care Settings

(Discussion Draft) This 32-page discussion draft produced by the World Health Organization and Health Care Without Harm says that the healthcare sector can lead the way against climate change. This report shows how the health sector can improve reduce its climate footprint while setting forth a number of opportunties for action for health care professionals, hospitals, health systems, ministries of health and intergovernmental negotiations. more 

End of an Era: The Phase-out of Mercury-Based Blood Pressure Devices in the U.S. and Its Implications for the Rest of the World

This brief report provides an overview of the tremendous success the US healthcare community has experienced in delivering safe, accurate, affordable mercury-free blood pressure measurement. more