14 October 2007
UNEP, Southern African governments and NGOs to meet to plan
for move away from mercury in the health care sector
The dangers of mercury exposure are well documented [1]
and health care institutions worldwide are gradually phasing
out mercury based equipment in their sector.
In South Africa, the Department of Health in the province
of KwaZulu Natal are already switching to safer viable alternatives.
In a first for Africa, representatives from the United Nations
Environmental Programme (UNEP), government policy makers,
health care workers and NGOs will meet on October 24-25 in
Kempton Park, Johannesburg to discuss the phasing out of mercury
containing medical products in the health care sector.
Organised by groundWork [2] (Friends of
the Earth, South Africa) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)
[3], in association with the UNEP, the workshop
[4] builds on previous regional cooperative
workshops organised by HCWH in association with UNEP Chemicals
in 2006 promoting alternatives to mercury in the health care
sector in South East Asia and Latin America. A key feature
of these workshops is to raise awareness of the inherent environmental,
community and occupational health dangers of mercury and provide
delegates the opportunity to develop a strategy to reduce
and ultimately phase out mercury use in the health sector.
Mercury pollution is a serious global environmental and human
health problem which has various adverse impacts throughout
the world. In health care settings, mercury may be released
from thermometers, blood pressure devices, gastrointestinal
and other mercury containing medical products. Viable alternative
technologies are readily available and are increasingly being
used by the health care sector in countries around the world.
The World Health Organisation’s policy is to promote
a transition to these alternatives.
Desiree Narvaez, of the UNEP Chemicals Mercury Program, one
of the keynote participants in the workshop, said: “Mercury
is a threat to health care workers, patients and the global
environment. Spills from thermometers and blood pressure devices
can cause acute harm to those in hospital settings. Meanwhile
the mercury waste from hospitals, if not properly disposed
of, winds up in the global food chain, and ultimately in the
fish we eat."
Rico Euripidou, environmental epidemiologist at groundWork,
is positive about a move towards mercury alternatives in the
health care sector. “Already in Kwa-Zulu Natal, there
is a directive from the Department of Health, technical services,
not to replace mercury based equipment that is damaged. We
believe this is a good start and can be speedily replicated
throughout South Africa.”
Speakers at the conference are from Argentina, Botswana,
the Unites States, Sweden, India and local South African health
care staff and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR).
Josh Karliner, International Team Coordinator of Health Care
Without Harm, who has worked globally on this issue, states
that, “health care leaders from around the world are
increasingly substituting mercury-based medical devices with
safer alternatives, thereby helping minimise their sector's
impact on the environment and on human health itself.”
To participate in the workshop and find our how you too can
phase out mercury in favour of safer alternatives, please
call Gillian Addison at 033 342 5662 or e-mail her on gill@groundwork.org.za.
For more information:
Rico Euripidou, groundWork 083 519 3008
Footnotes:
[1] Recent research: www.env-health.org/stopmercury/
[2] groundWork is a environmental justice
organisation working with community people from around South
Africa and increasingly in Southern Africa on environmental
justice and human rights issues focusing on Air Pollution,
Waste (including Health Care Waste) and Corporate Abuse. groundWork
is a member of Health Care Without Harm. www.groundwork.org.za
[3] Health Care Without Harm is a global
campaign with more than 440 members in 52 countries dedicated
to environmentally responsible health care (www.noharm.org)
[4] Visit http://www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org/
for draft agenda for conference and resource materials on
the phase out of mercury.
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