October 17, 2007
The Global Movement for Mercury Free Health
Care.
Beijing, Buenos Aires, Durban, San Francisco-- Health Care
Without Harm today released a new report, The Global Movement
for Mercury Free Health Care.
It can be found on the Health Care Without Harm website:
http://www.noharm.org/globalsoutheng/mercury-report-download
The report documents how health care systems around the world
are substituting mercury-based medical devices with safer
alternatives, thereby protecting health care workers, patients
and the global environment.
As report co-author Joshua Karliner explains, “there
is a growing groundswell around mercury-free health care—not
only in the US and Europe, which have virtually phased out
mercury thermometers —but also in developing countries
in Asia, Africa and Latin America.”
The report contains a number of colorful examples of health
care professionals, government officials and non-governmental
organizations in developing countries working to phase-out
mercury thermometers and blood pressure devices from hospitals
and clinics.
It also highlights a series of model policies that are emerging
for large cities, national governments, states and provinces
in countries such as Argentina, South Africa, India and the
Philippines.
“We are reaching a tipping point,” says report
co-author Jamie Harvie. “It is now possible that we
can virtually phase mercury out of health care within the
next decade.”
The report is being released on the eve of the Southern Africa
Conference on Mercury Free Health Care, the third in a series
of four regional events Health Care Without Harm is organizing
in association with the UN Environment Programme (see www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org).
Some of the report’s findings include:
Ø The health care sector is a key source of global
mercury demand and emissions.
Ø Mercury waste from broken fever thermometers is
significant. For instance, thermometers used and broken
in Argentina’s health care sector emit an estimated
1 metric ton of mercury per year. The estimate for Mexico
is similar. For India, it is 2.4 metric tons.
Ø The mercury-based medical device industry is a
major polluter. In China, which produces more than 150 million
mercury thermometers per-year, more than 27 metric tons
of mercury are lost to the environment before the devices
ever leave the factory.
Ø Peer reviewed literature from the last decade
shows that digital thermometers and aneroid sphygmomanometers
are just as accurate as mercury-based devices.
Ø In Argentina, Brazil, Europe, Mexico, South Africa
and the United States, health care systems are breaking
even or saving money by switching to non-mercury devices.
Ø Hundreds, if not thousands of hospitals and health
care systems throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America are
already going mercury-free.
Ø If the right political and economic forces converge,
the day is not far off when, in most hospitals around the
world, mercury based-medical devices will be a thing of
the past.
Ø Health care leaders can be key spokespeople and
advocates for mercury elimination and environmental health—not
just in hospitals--but throughout our societies.
The report can be downloaded at: http://www.noharm.org/globalsoutheng/mercury-report-download
Joshua Karliner
International Team Coordinator, Health Care Without Harm
c/o Salud sin Daño - América Latina
3 de Febrero 3062
1429 Capital Federal
Argentina
Tel/Fax: +54 11 4701-8872
Skype In: +1 415 992 7442
josh@hcwh.org
www.noharm.org
|
