Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mercury under siege

NEWS RELEASE

February 24, 2010

MERCURY UNDER SIEGE
9 more mercury-containing products banned in the Philippines, mercury ban in health care sought

Quezon City – Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today again lauded the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for banning nine more mercury-containing beauty products and called on the Health department to step-up ban of mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers.

“It seems that mercury is under siege here,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “Let us not forget mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers. These devices need not be tested for their mercury content. It’s out in the open that they are mercury-containing.”

Ferrer compared mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers to a “culprit on the loose” if they are not immediately banned. “We ban mercury-laden beauty products but we allow mercurial devices to be continuously used.”

The FDA today banned seven freckles crème and two skin-whitening products containing mercury. Earlier Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said they no longer give permit to sell mercury thermometers and will escalate the program to include mercury sphygmomanometer. The Health department should fast track its ban in the importation of these mercury-containing medical devices.

According to news, the beauty crèmes were imported without government authority. Mercury is among the regulated products under the Department of Trade and Industry’s list of regulated imported commodities.

FDA also issued a warning to stores who will continue to sell the product that they will face criminal prosecution. “If FDA is so tough with mercury-laced products and the distributors of these products, the same must be bestowed upon those still using and selling mercurial devices.”

“The only thing that separates us from mercury poisoning is the thin glass holding the mercury in thermometers.”

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

DoH TO BAN MERCURY IMPORTATION

NEWS RELEASE

February 22, 2010

DoH TO BAN MERCURY IMPORTATION
6-point agenda to a mercury-free Philippines presented

Manila – Following movements to ban mercury globally, the Philippine Department of Health on Friday said that it will ask for the banning on importation of mercury products in the country.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral in a meeting with environmental health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) identified other measures to ensure that the public will be safe from mercury.

#1 - No more mercury permits
According to Cabral, since Administrative Order (AO) 21 was implemented in September 2008, the DoH is no longer giving permits to medical devices distributors to sell mercury thermometers. The program will be escalated to include mercury sphygmomanometers.

Prior to AO 21, all hospitals have a one-is-to-one policy on mercurial thermometers. This means that every patient admitted or discharged in a hospital is entitled to one mercurial thermometer. In 2007, one 300 bed hospital distributed 10,000 mercurial thermometers in just a year.

“With the 98,463 hospital beds in the country, the health care sector alone gave out more than 3 million thermometers in just one year,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “This doesn’t include yet purchases made by individuals, schools, laboratories small clinics.”

# 2 – AO 21 to reach local health units
The DoH likewise said that they will promote and disseminate AO 21 to the local government units (LGUs) who are managing the barangay health units, rural health units, city heath and municipal, district and provincial hospitals.

In the regional conferences organized by HCWH-SEA and DoH Center for Health Development (CHD), majority of LGU-run hospitals and health centers said that they are unaware of AO 21.

In the conference for CALABARZON region, several health units raised the issue of involving the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the implementation of AO 21 citing that they are directly under the Department and that funding must also be supported by the LGUs.

# 3 – Mercury-free budget
To further speed-up AO 21 implementation, Cabral said that they will look into the 2009 General Appropriations Act (GAA) 13.2 M allocation for 66 government-run hospitals to purchase non-mercurial devices and have it released at the soonest possible time.

In 2008, HCWH-SEA together with Social Watch’s Alternative Budget Initiative for health lobbied for additional environmental health allocations in the DoH budget. This however remains unreleased.

# 4 - Beyond health care
Cabral likewise expressed that DoH will set-up a program to follow-up on the state of the more than 20 student victims of mercury poisoning in St. Andrew’s School in Paranaque in 2006.

Earlier, one of the victims who is now suffering advanced stage of Parkinsonism and nerve damage filed a 6M civil case against the school. While the other victims have stopped chelation therapy to remove mercury from their system, it is unclear whether they have been cleared by the hospital.

# 5 – More alternatives
Cabral also pronounced that the DoH will continue the program to replace mercury devices in hospitals.

To further strengthen this, Cabral signed the Green Health Covenant which calls for the health sector and other individuals to call on their candidates to support mercury phase-out in the country and other green health care agenda such as proper heath care waste management leading to zero waste, chemical safety in health care and a health care responsive to climate change.

The Green Health Covenant now has more than 900 signatures from health care facilities in Regions 1, 2, 4A and online signatories.

# 6 – Ban mercury importation
The next logical step to mercury phase-out: ban mercury.

DoH said they will ask for the banning of importation of mercury products. This will prevent entry of mercury devices in the Philippine market.

“Now that the DoH has taken a firmer stand to ban mercury, we are enjoining the health care sector, other government and non-government agencies and organizations and the general public to support the banning of mercury importation in the country,” Ferrer added.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

Friday, February 19, 2010

Safe and Mercury-Free

SAFE AND MERCURY-FREE
Envi-health group calls stringent support for greener health measures

Be safe. Ban mercury.

Those are Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia’s (HCWH-SEA) message to the Department of Health (DoH) and the rest of the public.

“For years, we have called on the public especially the health care sector to support the phase-out of mercury. But now we have come to the point where phasing-out no longer suffice,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care.

“We need stringent measures and bolder moves in order to provide safer environment to the public. Phase-out of mercury products and then thorough banning of mercury are needed at this time,” said Ferrer.

In Las Pinas, 18 year old victim of mercury poisoning and his mother filed a civil case against St. Andrew’s School in Paranaque for the poisoning that happened in 2006. A Science teacher negligently passed around a beaker of mercury for the class to see and feel the element. To date, the victim is unable to go to school and suffers Parkinsonism, nerve damage and constant tremors and fevers.

“Although outside the health care premises, the situation shows how a small lapse can damage the future of one person.”

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health in Argentina published a resolution banning mercury sphygmomanometer in their country. The resolution gives 90 days to end production and 180 days to end any commercialization of the product.

HCWH-SEA visited Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral for a status report on mercury phase-out, to dos after the phase-out, possible banning of mercury and how the health sector including the DoH can raise the issue these election months.

Moving forward the phase-out
In the regional conferences on mercury phase-out and proper health care waste management organized by HCWH-SEA and the DoH Center for Health Development (CHD), the group was alarmed to know that mercury phase-out in Rural Health Units (RHUs) are so behind and “majority of them are not even aware of the existence of Administrative Order 21.”

AO 21 mandates the gradual phase-out of mercury devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010.

Since the devolution of health services, Barangay Health Units (BHUs), RHUs, city health, municipal, district and provincial hospitals are now run by the barangay, municipal, city and provincial governments.

“It shows lack of coordination in information dissemination between the DoH and the local governments,” Ferrer pointed out.

“While we are glad that PhilHealth has already included mercury phase-out in its benchbook as one of the requirements for accreditation, majority of the hospitals, especially DoH hospitals in the regions we visited are complaining about funding for mercury alternatives,” said Ferrer.

In the 2009 General Appropriations Act (GAA), 13.2 M was allocated for purchase of non-mercurial devices for the 66 DoH-controlled hospitals. This however remains unreleased.

Another issue raised is the next steps after the implementation of total phase-out in September 2010.

“According to the AO, hospitals will have to provide temporary storage area for phased-out mercurial devices. But there is still a need for a safer intermediate storage. Continuously storing them in the hospital premises is like keeping a ticking time bomb in their facility,” Ferrer expressed.

The call is still on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to look into the matter of intermediate storage.

“Then there is also the issue on banning mercury devices. Recently the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) banned three Chinese cosmetics because it contained mercury. It will be so much easier to phase-out mercury in health care if we can stop the market from bringing these products to us,” Ferrer added.

Going Green
Mercury phase-out has many nitty-gritty details and the May 2010 election candidates must likewise partake in this enormous yet very simple task.

HCWH-SEA presented the Green Health Covenant to Cabral asking the DoH family to enjoin their candidates to be supportive of mercury phase-out and other green health care agenda.

“If we are serious of the phase-out, we need to make sure that whoever will be elected in May will be supportive of this. That such candidate will acknowledge the dangers of mercury, that they are open to safer alternatives and that they will allocate budget and be supportive of other agencies in setting-up intermediate temporary storage place,” said Ferrer. “We hope that such candidate will also be supportive of banning mercury.”

“We need to be keen in choosing green health candidates.”

The Covenant signatories likewise pledge to encourage candidates to work for proper health care waste management acknowledging its importance to general waste management leading to a zero waste Philippines; recognize dangerous chemicals in health care and work towards regulating its use and disposal; and work towards a health setting responsive to climate change.

The Covenant now has more than 900 signatories from health care units in Regions 1, 2, CALABARZON and online signatories. http://GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com.


HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

Envi-Health Group Calls for Banning of Mercury Products

Proper product labeling sought

Quezon City — Reacting to news on the civil case filed against St. Andrew’s School in Paranaque City on the mercury poisoning that happened more than four years ago, environmental health non-government organization Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) called on the Department of Health (DoH) to go beyond Administrative Order (AO) 21 implementation and “once and for all ban the entry of mercury products in the market.”

“We have here the face of mercury poisoning,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care, in a Regional Conference on Mercury Phase-out and Proper Health Care Waste Management organized by HCWH-SEA and DoH-Center for Health Development.

“John Seth was only 14 years old when his Science teacher, unaware of its dangers, negligently passed around a beaker of mercury to the class. One ignorant move that caused the future of a boy.”

John Seth is among the more than 20 victims of the only recorded mercury poisoning that happened in the country on February 16, 2006.

“There are countless undocumented cases, not just in schools but in hospitals and homes. AO 21 is no longer enough. We need banning of mercury,” Ferrer pointed out.

John Seth has developed Parkinsonism and nerve damage. The boy constantly suffers tremors and fever hindering him from attending school and doing other social activities a boy his age would normally engage in.

“If the story of John Seth fails to touch your heart, we do not know what will,” Ferrer lamented.

Banned: Mercury beauty products

Earlier the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) banned three mercury-laced beauty products from China.

“Another problem we have here is that our products are never properly labeled and are never regulated,” Ferrer pointed out..

“Check the market and you will see hundreds of products that are either without labels or even if it has labels, it is in a foreign language that not all Filipinos understand,” she added..

“We need to give people the power to choose and the power to make the right choices..
Choosing mercury-free

With the coming May 2010 elections, people are once again choosing which candidates to support. HCWH-SEA has a word of warning to voters: choose mercury-free.

The group has launched the: Green Health Covenant asking the voters to enjoin their candidates to be supportive of mercury phase-out and other green health care agenda..

“We do not want another mercury poisoning incident. Let us choose better lives and choose the best candidates.”.

The Green Health Covenant now has close to 800 signatures from health care facilities in Regions 1 and 2 and online signatories..

“We enjoin health care workers, school administrators, present and future leaders and individuals to push for the banning of mercury now. And for the DoH, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other concerned agencies to make the banning possible.”

Thursday, February 11, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP WARNS OF OTHER MERCURY-CONTAINING PRODUCTS

NEWS RELEASE

February 11, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP WARNS OF OTHER MERCURY-CONTAINING PRODUCTS
Applauds FDA for banning mercury-laced items, raising issue on the dangers of mercury

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today warns the public of other mercury-containing products and devices commonly used in household and health care setting.

“We applaud the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for banning three mercury-laced Chinese-made beauty products and raising awareness on the dangers of mercury. But we would like to call on the attention of the public on other mercury-containing items that people have been using throughout the years,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care.

“These are the silent killers in the comfort of our homes and even hospitals.”

Included in these products are merthiolate tincture, thimerosal-containing products such as contact lens cleaner and most vaccines, and mercurial devices in hospitals such as thermometers, blood pressure devices, fixatives, laboratory chemicals, cleaners and building products such as thermostats, pressure gauges and switches.

“Even the rubber shoes that has lights at the bottom that parents are so fond of buying their kids, those lights contain mercury,” added Ferrer.

According to Medline Plus, service of the US National Library of Medicine and the US National Institutes of Health, merthiolate is a mercury-containing substance that was once widely used as germ-killer and a preservative in many different products, including vaccines. Merthiolate poisoning occurs when large amounts of the substance are swallowed or come in contact with the skin. Poisoning also occurs after constant exposure to small amounts of merthiolate.

“Up to now, in majority of the salons in the country, merthiolate tincture and nail polish are used as if one cannot live without the other. And mainly for vanity,” added Ferrer.

Thimerosal, an organomercury compound, on the other hand is used in vaccines as preservatives. “It has no other real purpose but to preserve the vaccines. Whereas if the drug companies or dealers would simply add a freezer to safely preserve the medicines, then there is no need to use thimerosal,” Ferrer pointed out.

In the health care setting, the Department of Health (DoH) issued as early as 2008 Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010.

“While the DoH is leading in the movement away from mercury, the implementation is rather slow,” Ferrer lamented.

In the Regional Conferences on Mercury Phase-out and Proper Health Care Waste Management in Regions 1 and 2 organized by HCWH-SEA and DoH Center for Health Development (CHD), majority of the Rural Health Units (RHUs) and other health care facilities under the local government units are so behind in the implementation of the AO. “Several claimed that they have not heard of the AO,” said Ferrer.

“Now that FDA has made the bold move on banning three mercury-laced crèmes, we are urging other concerned agencies to follow suit. The AO works well in lowering the demand for mercurial devices but if we will simply ban the entry of these products in our marker, it will speed-up mercury phase-out.”

The group also asks the public to be wary when buying products—check the label if it contains thimerosal or merthiolate and please use the safer alternatives.


HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

RP, most dangerous place for health workers too?

NEWS RELEASE

February 10, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP CONDEMNS HARASSMENT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS
RP, most dangerous place for health workers too?

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) condemns the harassment and detention of 43 health workers while in a training seminar in Morong, Rizal.

“The health care workers are doing their duty training community health workers so that health services would reach far flung areas,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA.

“The military has a duty to protect our citizenry but they have no business harassing and even detaining these workers who are likewise doing their obligations.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) arrested 43 people including two doctors, a nurse, a midwife and some health workers and accused them of being communist rebels who were training in bomb-making. The health workers were training community volunteers.

“Reports of the dire torture that the detainees had to go through even though the military did not find any subversive materials in the health workers belongings are unthinkable,” added Ferrer. “Women and old people were not spared from this torture.”

According to reports, the detainees were forced to admit to being members of the communist New People’s Army and subjected to continuous torture.

“Unlike other doctors who flew abroad for greener pastures, these doctors and other health workers stayed and chose to serve in the country. As a matter of fact, they are serving the poor communities that are normally beset of health services. The least the military could do is pay them respect and not scare away other health workers,” Ferrer added.

“The country already has a reputation of being the most dangerous place for journalists. We must not aim for the most dangerous place for health workers category.”

“We affirm our solidarity with the detained health workers and their families. May this be the last incident of its kind.”

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP CALLS ON LOCAL GOVT TO IMPLEMENT MERCURY PHASE-OUT

NEWS RELEASE

February 9, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP CALLS ON LOCAL GOVT TO IMPLEMENT MERCURY PHASE-OUT
63 Cagayan Valley health units supportive of green health agenda

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today issued a call to all local government units (LGUs) to implement mercury phase-out in health care.

“While the Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order 21 mandates the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions, we are alarmed that Rural Health Units (RHUs) are so behind in its implementation,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care.

In the 2nd regional conference on mercury phase-out and proper health care waste management in Tuguegarao City, majority of the 96 RHUs reported that they were unaware of AO 21. DoH Cagayan Valley likewise admitted that when it comes to information dissemination, priorities have been government and private hospitals.

Since the devolution of health services (1) in the early 1990s, the government devolved the management and delivery of health services from the national DoH to locally elected provincial, city and municipal governments. This means that planning, management, decision-making and even revenue raising and resource allocation for the RHUs are now managed by the LGUs.

“Planning and funding for mercury phase-out is now on the shoulders of the LGU. However, information dissemination would still have to be supported by the DoH,” said Ferrer.

“Our worry is that this situation in Region 2 may be the same all over the country. This is why we are appealing to our local leaders to help your health units implement mercury phase-out.”

“We are also reminding the national DoH and respective regional Center for Health Development (CHD) that they should be closely working with the LGUs in disseminating AO 21’s importance, relevance and implementation and their commitment to the global elimination of mercury in health care.”

Support for Green Health Agenda
Of the 83 hospitals and 96 Rural Health Units (RHU) in the Cagayan Valley region, 63 health facilities have expressed support to the Green Health Covenant pledging to encourage their candidates who will be the future LGUs to be supportive of greening the health care system.

The 63 facilities include 7 government hospitals, 23 private hospitals, 29 RHUs, 3 district hospitals and 1 rural sanitation office from all over Cagayan Valley region. Local reporters from Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya provinces likewise expressed full support to the Covenant.

The Covenant now has more than 700 signatures from Regions 1 and 2 and online signatories.

Several hospitals in the region have also shown examples that the phase-out is doable. One hospital is the De Vera Hospital in Santiago City, Isabela who started mercury phase-out in 2007 (prior to AO 21) and is now into total mercury sphygmomanometer phase-out.

Another hospital is the St. Paul Hospital Tuguegarao who is one of the Do No Harm Award recipients. The hospital presented not just mercury phase-out but proper waste management and boasted of their bio-kita (bio-earnings) from recycled wastes.

Mercury for thought
The Philippines has a total of 1,847 hospitals and 98,000 beds.

“Imagine the number of mercurial thermometers and sphygmomanometers used in these facilities. Then add those from RHUs, municipal, district and provincial hospitals. How much longer are we planning to pollute our health and our environment if our local leaders will not act now?”

The traveling Covenant, is electronically distributed at www.GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

(1) With the devolution of the health services, Barangay health units are now managed by the barangay and municipal governments, Rural Health Units by the municipal government, City health by the city government, Municipal, district and provincial hospitals by the provincial government, and regional hospitals and medical center levels by the DoH.

TOWARDS A GREEN HEALTH CARE

NEWS RELEASE

February 4, 2010

TOWARDS A GREEN HEALTH CARE
Envi-health group calls for more support to Green Health Covenant

Tuguegarao City – As the world gathers for the World Cancer Day, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) in a regional conference on mercury phase-out and proper health care waste management in Cagayan Valley calls on all health care workers to unite and let their voices be heard in the May 2010 elections.

“Health care workers primary duty is to provide guidance on proper health to the people. However, this duty must not stop there. We need to provide a situation where health will thrive and survive,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA. “We need the initiative of health care sector and the support of our local and national leaders.”

“This 2010, we envision a greener health care for the Philippines.”

The Green Health Care Covenant
HCWH-SEA in the Green Health Covenant, is enjoining all health care workers and all Filipinos to encourage their candidates to put in their agenda the many facets of a green health care.

The Covenant is asking support for a Mercury-Free Philippine health care in line with the DoH Administrative Order (AO) 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.

Signatories likewise pledge to encourage candidates to work for proper health care waste management acknowledging its importance to general waste management leading to a zero waste Philippines; to recognize dangerous chemicals in health care and work towards regulating its use and disposal; and to work towards a health setting responsive to climate change.

The traveling Covenant, which is also electronically distributed in www.GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com, gathered more than 600 signatures from the 1st regional conference in Ilocos Region.

“Our task is to get more and more signatures in every regional conference. With each signature, we are turning green health care sector into a vibrant green health care.”

Greening Cagayan Valley
Housing 39 government and 44 private hospitals of the 1,847 hospitals in the country, the health care sector in Cagayan Valley can do much greening.

“Greening of the health care sector is not new to the region,” said Ferrer. “Ask St. Paul Hospital (Tuguegarao). You have here one of the best hospitals in our list.”

St. Paul Hospital in Tuguegarao is among the sixteen hospitals who received the 1st Do No Harm Award for mercury phase-out from HCWH-SEA last September 2009.

Do No Harm Award recognizes outstanding hospitals, health care workers, institutions and communities in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries who are leading the way to a healthier environment.

“SPH is among the 1st hospitals in the country to phase-out mercury,” said Ferrer. Other initiatives for green health care include proper waste segregation, recycling, composting and use of safer chemicals in their facilities.

“With so much happening around us, the health sector needs to take a stand and say: we are for green and healthy future. It may start with green health care.

Starting from home
Greening the health care sector may not be that easy.

In a 2004 US study, two major laboratories found a total of 287 industrial chemicals and pollutants in the umbilical cord blood from 10 babies. The umbilical cord when checked after it was cut contained pesticides, consumer products ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline and garbage. Of the chemicals detected, 180 cause cancer, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.

Years ago, scientists thought that the placenta prevents the developing baby from most chemicals.

“We at the health care sector are also guilty of using some of these toxic chemicals. We call this human body burden, defined as the pollution in people that permeates everyone in the world, including babies in the womb,” said Ferrer.

“We know that we cannot change everything overnight. But we will do this one step at a time. We will start from our home where we live and our second home—health care facilities and institutions,” said Ferrer.

AO 21 aims to clean the healthy care sector of mercury devices by September 2010. Efforts on other green health initiatives are already underway in many of the hospitals in the country.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org

ILOCOS REGION SIGNS GREEN HEALTH COVENANT

NEWS RELEASE

February 1, 2010

ILOCOS REGION SIGNS GREEN HEALTH COVENANT
Mercury phase-out, other green health initiatives on the horizon

In a gathering of doctors, nurses and other health care workers, one would expect a health agenda to start off the event and a health plan to close it. True enough, in the 1st regional conference organized by Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) and the Department of Health-Center for Health Development I (DoH-CHD), 637 health care workers from all over Ilocos region signed the Green Health Covenant with a promise of a greener health care.

With representatives from both public and private hospitals and Rural Health Units (RHUs) from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, the health care sector are ever more keen on mercury phase-out and want their local and national candidates to know it.

The Green Health Covenant is a pledge of support from voters to encourage their candidates to support a mercury-free Philippine health care by 2010 and other green health programs on proper health care waste management and a health care setting that is safe from toxic chemicals and responsive to climate change.

According to Dr. Eduardo Janairo, out-going DoH-CHD Region 1 Director, the conference is a badly needed conference to solve two issues—how to implement the law and how to fill-in the gap or what needs to be done in between the law and its full implementation.

DoH signed Administrative Order 21 in August 2008 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by September 2010.

“Each and everyone have a role to play. To implement the law, you make resolutions. To the health workers, be the disciple who will implement the law,” said Janairo.

Green Ilocos
While mercury phase-out and other green initiatives are happening all over the globe, hospitals in the Ilocos region are not left out.

Two hospitals in La Union, the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center and the Lorma Medical Center presented the greening initiatives for their hospitals.

Both hospitals started phase-out of mercury devices late 2008 and early 2009.

According to Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury, problems surrounding mercury phase-out are not as many as it did several years ago.

“The issue of accuracy and affordability of alternatives to mercury devices have already been answered. Medical organizations have attested time and again that non-mercurial devices are as accurate as mercury devices. In terms of affordability, alternatives are no longer as pricey as they used to be. What is left is the intermediate disposal area for the phased-out mercury devices,” said Ferrer.

HCWH-SEA is likewise doing a project with the United Nations Development Program-Global Environmental Facility (UNDP-GEF) (1) wherein two hospitals in the country will be recipient of proper trainings on proper health care waste management and new alternative waste treatment facility. These hospitals will serve as model for Southeast Asia in terms of proper health care waste management, employing appropriate non-incineration treatment technologies and joining hospitals around the world in using mercury-free devices.

One of the hospitals is the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital.

“With these hospitals leading in the region plus other hospitals who are already phasing-out mercury in their facility or others who have successfully phased-out mercury, we believe the Green Health Covenant will go beyond the May 2010 election.”

For more information on the Green Health Covenant and updates on the regional conferences on mercury phase-out and proper health care waste management, please visit: http://GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.

Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

(1)UNDP GEF is a 3-year project that aims to demonstrate and promote best practices and techniques for health care waste management to minimize or eliminate releases of persistent organic pollutants and mercury to the environment in eight selected countries—Argentina, India, Latvia, Lebanon, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania and Vietnam. It will likewise demonstrate the effectiveness of non-burn health care waste treatment technologies.

Monday, February 1, 2010

CALLING GREEN HEALTH CANDIDATES AND VOTERS

January 28, 2010

CALLING GREEN HEALTH CANDIDATES AND VOTERS
Envi-health group challenges politicos and voters to a Green Health Covenant

San Fernando City, La Union - Environmental health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today challenges all politicians to make green health care part of their agenda and all voters to consider green health candidates.

In The Green Health Covenant: Covenant of the Filipino people for a healthy environment, first presented in a regional conference co-sponsored by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DoH-CHD), the group is asking all Filipino voters (and politicians) to pledge to encourage candidates who will work for the attainment of green Philippine health care. The conference is attended by 500 hospital representatives from all over Ilocos region.

The main thrust of the Covenant is for a Mercury-Free Philippine health care in line with the DoH Administrative Order (AO) 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.

“The deadline for the phase-out of mercury is September 2010. Since we are electing new leaders this May, we deem it necessary that we choose candidates who are supportive of greening the health care sector,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury.

Mercury in the health care setting is commonly found in thermometers and blood pressure devices. It may also be present in fixatives, preservatives, laboratory chemicals, cleaners and building products such as thermostats, pressure gauges and switches.

Prior to AO 21, hospitals in the Philippines have a one-is-to-one policy for mercury thermometers meaning every patient admitted in the hospital is entitled to one mercury thermometer. In 2007, one tertiary hospital with more than 280 beds distributed 10,000 thermometers to its patients in just a year.

Of the 1,847 hospitals in the Philippines, only a little more than 50 hospitals have phased-out or are phasing out mercury. That leaves more than 90% mercury-using hospitals.

Mercury spills in hospitals expose patients and health workers to mercury possibly causing lung damage at high doses and damages to the kidney, nervous, digestive, respiratory and immune systems at lower doses.

If discarded as waste, mercury will eventually find its way into the water transforming it into highly toxic methyl mercury. This can affect the brain and the nervous system and even impairs neurological development of infants and children as mercury can pass through a women’s placenta.

“Phasing-out of mercury devices is as urgent as the 2010 election,” said Ferrer.

“An example of mercury poisoning very close to us, although it did not happen inside the hospital setting, is an incident in a Paranaque school where the students played with the elemental mercury in a Chemistry class. These students manifested pink rashes and had to go through several chelation therapies and the school had to be closed for months. The City Government had to hire the services of international groups to do the clean-up.

“And we are just talking of one beaker of mercury. Now consider the number of mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being used in health care,” Ferrer added.

A gram of mercury, the amount contained in one thermometer, can contaminate 80,940 square meters of lake.

“Acknowledging the dangers of mercury to people and the environment, DoH and several civil society organizations are keen on phasing out mercury in health care. Thus we appeal to all Filipino voters to take a stand and say no to mercury and take it a step further and encourage candidates, both in the national and local elections, to support these green health measures,” Ferrer added.

The Covenant signatories likewise pledge to encourage candidates to work for proper health care waste management acknowledging its importance to general waste management leading to a zero waste Philippines; recognize dangerous chemicals in health care and work towards regulating its use and disposal; and work towards a health setting responsive to climate change.

The traveling Covenant will be brought to the Regional Conferences on Mercury Phase-out and Hospital Waste Management. There will also be an online signature drive at http://GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com.

Attached is a copy of the covenant.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.


Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

GROUP COMMENDS CABRAL APPOINTMENT

January 11, 2010

GROUP COMMENDS CABRAL APPOINTMENT
Focus on environmental health pushed

International organization Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) says former DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral appointment as Health Secretary is an encouraging move for environmental health issues in the country.

As head of the Philippine Society of Hypertension back in 2006, Secretary Cabral expressed full support in the mercury phase-out in Philippine health care and advocated for mercury alternatives during the 1st Southeast Asia Conference on Mercury in Health Care.

In 2008, the Department of Health (DoH) signed Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals by September 2010.

“In 2009, of the more than 1,800 hospitals in the country, only close to a hundred have phased-out and are phasing mercury in their hospitals. Now that we are nearing the September deadline, the challenge for Sec. Cabral is to ensure that we will reach the target of complete phase-out of mercury in our health care system by 2010,” said Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Executive Director.

This year, HCWH-SEA is set to go around the country for regional conferences on mercury phase-out.

“We are at a time when environmental health issues should be given utmost attention,” Ferrer pointed out. Other envi-health issues raised by the group include chemical safety and safer alternatives, waste management and climate change all in the hospital setting.

“Beyond these, we’d like to remind the Secretary of the impounded health budget that we have been following-up for release,” said Ferrer.

Under the 2008 General Appropriations Act, the unreleased health budget includes Php 100 million for the purchase of autoclave machines for infectious medical waste treatment, the Php 400 million for the tuberculosis program and the Php 1.82 billion for family health. For 2009, the government allotted 13.2 million for purchase of mercury thermometers to government hospitals. This remains unreleased to date.

“We call on the new leadership to take on environmental health issues and continue on positive actions for environmental health.”

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.

Contact:
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org