Temperature Check

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia and the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) International Collegiate Service Fraternity at the University of the Philippines-Diliman raise temperature with the latter’s yearly Oblation Run. Bystanders are encouraged to check their temperature with the mercury-free dot matrix thermometer that they gave out along with the traditional long-stemmed rose.

Mercury Watch Series: TEMPERATURE CHECK: UP APO AND HEALTH CARE WITHOUT HARM RAISE TEMPERATURE

December 16, 2008

Mercury Watch Series:
TEMPERATURE CHECK: UP APO AND HEALTH CARE WITHOUT HARM RAISE TEMPERATURE

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia and the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) International Collegiate Service Fraternity in the University of the Philippines-Diliman raise temperature with the latter’s yearly Oblation Run at the University and encourage bystanders to check their temperature with the mercury-free dot matrix thermometer that they gave out along with the traditional long-stemmed rose.

“As a tradition, APO carries several issues during the run. This is not just a parade of naked men running. We raise issues and raise people’s awareness.” AJ Verceles, APO-Eta Chapter Grand Chancellor said. “This year, we even raised temperature.”

Among the issues carried by APO is HCWH-SEA’s Mercury Watch Campaign. The Campaign is the group’s countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.

Several men were carrying Mercury-Free RP and First, Do No Harm banners to show APO-Eta’s support to the mercury phase-out campaign. Earlier last week, APO-Eta Chapter and HCWH-SEA launched a Campaign Video and exhibit at the University’s AS Walk. Both materials talked about the dangers of mercury in health care.

“Through this run, we hope that APO-Eta will help raise the mercury phase-out issue to the consciousness of the people. We now have AO 21 mandating this phase-out, we need to watch every step along the way to 2010,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury.

“Countries around the world have proven that switching to mercury alternatives is feasible. US, members of the European Union, and Latin America have banned mercury thermometers and other equipments that use mercury. In the Philippines, the Philippine Heart Center is the first to switch to non-mercury alternatives,” she added.

“In the US, you cannot buy a mercury thermometer and mercury blood pressure devices are on their way out. This is the 2010 goal,” Ferrer pointed out.

Verceles said that although the mercury issue is just one of the five issues carried in this year’s run, “all of them deserve our immediate attention. And we believe that this run has indeed raised not just temperature but awareness.”

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global coalition of 473 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in health care sector. For more information, visit www.noharm.org. (30)

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP URGES APO ALUMNI IN HEALTH CARE TO SUPPORT MERCURY WATCH CAMPAIGN

December 13, 2008

Mercury Watch Series:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP URGES APO ALUMNI IN HEALTH CARE TO SUPPORT MERCURY WATCH CAMPAIGN

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia urges APO alumni who are now working in hospitals and health care system setting to support the Mercury Watch Campaign recently launched at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in cooperation with APO-Eta Chapter.

“The Mercury Watch Campaign, which is our countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals and health care facilities by 2010, aims to gather support from both medical and non-medical practitioners,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer.

“APO-Eta Chapter is helping us raise awareness to the issue. We believe that the APO alumni who are now in the health care field may take on the role of inside watchers being the ones directly inside hospital set-up,” she explained.

She added that occupational safety is among the issues raised by doctors, nurses and other health care workers around the world for the urgency of the move to replace mercury with alternatives. Danger to people, wildlife and the environment, availability of alternatives and financial considerations/clean-up cost are the other factors.

AJ Verceles, APO-Eta Chapter Grand Chancellor, on the other hand said “the Mercury Watch Campaign is an issue that we would like to be a part of. This mercury phase-out in health care facilities and institutions, although unknown to many, is an issue that warrants our immediate attention.”

He added, “Medical practitioners and other hospital workers are the ones who will greatly benefit from the campaign and the phasing-out of mercury.”

“Unfortunately, they are the same ones on the losing end if we do not certify this campaign as urgent,” Ferrer added.

AO 21 signed by the DoH in August 11, 2008 mandates all hospitals to immediately discontinue the distribution of mercury thermometers in the patient’s admission/discharge kits. It requires all hospitals to follow the guidelines for the gradual phase-out of mercury in two years and all health care facilities to have a Mercury Minimization Progam.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global coalition of 473 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in health care sector. For more information, visit www.noharm.org. (30)

Temperature Rising. UP at 102, APO at 85 and a Mercury-Free RP health care by 2010. Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia, together with the University of the Philippines Diliman-based APO-Eta Chapter launches Mercury Watch Campaign exhibit at the AS Walk of UP. The campaign will serve as a countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals and health care facilities by September 11, 2010, as stipulated in the DoH Administrative Order 21.

Mercury Watch Series: UPD’s APO HEATS UP ENVI-HEALTH GROUP’S MERCURY WATCH

Mercury Watch Series:
UPD’s APO HEATS UP ENVI-HEALTH GROUP’S MERCURY WATCH

“It is time we take an issue that is important not just to the youth but to the rest of humanity,” said AJ Verceles, APO-Eta Chapter Grand Chancellor, as they help launch Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia’s Mercury Watch Campaign.

The Mercury Watch Campaign, which will be launched in APO’s weeklong anniversary celebration is HCWH-SEA’s countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals and health care facilities by 2010.

“The Campaign will serve as the watchdog for the implementation of DoH Administrative Order 21 mandating this phase-out,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury.

AO 21 which was signed in August 11, 2008 mandates all hospitals to discontinue the distribution of mercury thermometers in the patient’s admission/discharge kits. Further, it requires all hospitals to follow the guidelines for the gradual phase-out of mercury in two years.

Another salient provision of the AO is the requirement to all new health care facilities applying for a license to operate to submit an inventory of all mercury-containing devices that will be used in their facilities and a corresponding mercury elimination program.

The AO also mandates that all other health care facilities other than hospital shall make a Mercury Minimization Program.

“We hope that thru the AO, the phase-out of mercury containing devices will speed-up and thus make the 2010 deadline a reality,” said Ferrer.

“That is where APO comes in. We hope to help raise awareness of the issue not just here in the University but to the whole country. We believe that the mercury is a global issue and it is not just about health. It is about the environment and our future,” said Verceles.

The launch of the campaign starts with HCWH-SEA’s first two Campaign Videos which is first shown at the University of the Philippines-Diliman APO-Eta Chapter Weeklong Anniversary Celebration. The video is simultaneously broadcasted at HCWH international meeting in Jaipur, India attended by international organizations all working towards the phase-out of mercury.

The Campaign Video directed by Rosela Sartaguda, Make the Switch, features VJ Juddha Paolo talking about the dangers of mercury in health care. The second, First, Do No Harm, reminds medical practitioners of their Hippocratic Oath: To first, do no harm.

Juddha Paolo is a spoken word artist, actor and TV and events host. He is a co-producer of Isang Lahi: Pearls from the Orient film to be released on the Spring of 2008.

Rosela Sartaguda is a freelance copy writer, interior designer and an independent filmmaker.

Video is available upon request.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global coalition of 473 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in health care sector. For more information, visit www.noharm.org. (30)

Health Care Without Harm, WHO Announce Partnership for Global Reduction of Mercury-Based Medical Devices

— New Delhi, December 6, 2008, Health Care Without Harm and the World Health Organization yesterday launched a global partnership to substitute mercury-based medical devices with safer, accurate and affordable alternatives.

The announcement came during the opening of the South Asian Conference on Alternatives to Mercury in Health Care, an event sponsored by the two organizations and the Indian NGO Toxics Link.

“This initiative aims to replace no less than 70 percent of all mercury thermometers and blood pressure devices around the world with digital and aneroid alternatives within the decade” said Alexander von Hildebrand, Regional Adviser for Chemical Safety for WHO’s South East Asia Regional Office. “It is our goal to significantly reduce the threat posed by mercury spills to patient and worker health, as well as the global environment.”

Several countries have already taken steps to mandate safer, accurate and affordable alternatives to mercury-based medical devices. It is virtually impossible to find a mercury thermometer in the United States today, while the European Union has banned them outright, as has Taiwan. The Philippines has mandated a phase-out of all mercury medical devices over the next two years, while hundreds of hospitals in Latin America—from Mexico to Brazil to Argentina are moving toward alternatives.

“This Partnership is a vehicle for health care leaders, government officials, NGOs and private sector participants from around the world to join forces in support of environmental health,” said Josh Karliner, International Coordinator for Health Care Without Harm. “Anyone committed to mercury elimination in health care can join via the Partnership website, www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org .”

The Partnership is based on both WHO and HCWH’s ongoing efforts for substitution of mercury-based medical devices. It is also a component of the UN Environment Programme Mercury Products Partnership and led by the USA Environmental Protection Agency.

At the Delhi conference, health care sector leaders from across India and neighboring countries, along with experts from around the world are gathered to share experiences and learn more on how to make the switch. Organizers have also convened business leaders and aid agencies to discuss bolstering production of the non-mercury devices. “The conference is an important step for India to begin playing a leadership role in this essential global initiative,” said conference host Ravi Agarwal, Director of Toxics Link.

End.


Health Care Without Harm is a global coalition of 473 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in the health care sector.

The World Health Organisation, the international agency within the United Nations system responsible for health, has a number of programmes that address the threats posed by environmental pollutants providing information and guidelines for risk assessment and management, for preventing human exposure and for improving the diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of health effects.


For more information on the Partnership see: www.mercuryfreehealthcare.org