Marinduque gears up for mercury-free health care

In a continuous bid to make the Philippines 100% mercury-free, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today turns-over non mercurial thermometers to the Province of Marinduque, the province that seats at the heart of the country.  more 

'Should have been a knock-out' for incinerator projects

For five consecutive years, environmental-health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) once again called on the executive and legislative governments for the debt cancellation of a 15-year old medical waste incineration project that continues to be a huge burden to the people. more 

Burn Not, Gov't Warned

Amidst on-going push from different government sectors to amend the Philippine Clean Air Act, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today released a 3-part Public Service Announcement on incineration. ‘Burn Not’ cautions the national government to stop burning and the local governments to shun from legitimizing waste-to-energy or “incinerators-in-disguise” contracts recently signed by different LGUs, particularly in Mindanao. more 

Hospital contamination could lead to drug-resistant bacteria

Excerpt: "Hanoi, VietNam — Bacterial contamination at hospitals could assist infected bacteria become multi-drug-resistant, increasing the number of patients, fatalities and expenses, health experts have warned."  more 

More efficient waste management with Act

Excerpt: "Putrajaya, Malaysia - Solid waste management and public cleanliness will be handled more efficiently with the implementation of the Solid Waste Manage¬ment and Public Cleansing Act, enforced on Sept 1."  more 

Aquino hit for ‘criminal neglect’ of govt hospitals

Excerpt: "BAYAN Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, protesting the big cut in the Health Department’s budget, on Friday accused the Aquino administration of “criminal neglect” for cutting the appropriations for public hospitals, saying they were close to becoming health hazards because of their lack of facilities and financing."  more 

WHO Releases Technical Guidance on Substituting Mercury Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers

WHO has issued a Technical Guidance Document for the safe substitution of non-mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers in health-care settings. more 

Manila 2011 Declaration for Mercury Free Health Care

On March 15, in Manila, Philippins, HCWH, WHO and the UNDP GEF Global Health Care Waste Project co-organized a regional event to support the development of mercury-free health care in Asia.  more 

Guidance on the Cleanup, Temporary or Intermediate Storage, and Transport of Mercury Waste from Healthcare Facilities

The UNDP GEF Global Health Care Waste Project issued a Guidance Document on the Cleanup, Temporary or Intermediate Storage, and Transport of Mercury Waste from Healthcare Facilities. The UNDP GEF project involves demonstrating best practices for the management of mercury waste and promoting mercury-free devices. As health facilities phase out mercury devices, proper methods of storage and transport are needed. This document is intended for project countries where national norms and guidelines for cleanup, storage, and transport of mercury waste do not exist at this time. These suggested guidelines should become part of a broader plan for sequestration and phase-out of mercury.  more 

Mercury-Free Health Care — Toward the Tipping Point

Health Care Without Harm and the World Health Organization have issued a two-year progress report on their global Mercury-Free Health Care Initiative entitled Toward the Tipping Point: WHO-HCWH Global Initiative to Substitute Mercury-Based Medical Devices in Health Care. The progress report finds that “Momentum is growing and mercury-free health care is increasingly becoming the status quo in many countries. The Global Initiative is moving closer to a tipping point that will shift the dynamics of supply and demand in the global thermometer and blood pressure device markets away from mercury and toward the alternatives.” more