Wednesday, June 23, 2010

P-NOY SHOULD DO AN OBAMA

NEWS RELEASE

June 23, 2010

P-NOY SHOULD DO AN OBAMA
Groups urge new President-elect to do more than Obama on mercury

Twenty days before the 2008 US Presidential election, then US President George W. Bush signed into law the Mercury Export Ban of 2008 introduced by then junior Sen. Barack Obama. “P-Noy may do more by signing an EO (executive order) completely banning mercury in the Philippines, particularly mercury in health care and other unsustainable uses of mercury,” says Faye Ferrer, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “But the question is, will he do more?”

Asked what prompted then Senator Obama to sponsor the bill, "Exposure to mercury leads to serious developmental problems in children as well as problems affecting vision, motor skills, blood pressure, and fertility in adults…. Despite our country's (United States) improved efforts to contain and collect mercury over the years, we remain one of the world's leading exporters of this dangerous product, so I am proud this bill will finally ban mercury exports."

Ferrer agrees, “The dangers of mercury have been established. Time and again, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed that there is no safe level of mercury exposure of humans. Our Health department has likewise paved the way for mercury phase-out with Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.”

“Just like in smoking, we wonder, will P-Noy heed Obama’s advice?” asked Ferrer.

It may be recalled that when Obama called-up to congratulate the new President-elect, among the things mentioned in their conversation was their common addiction to smoking. Fortunately for the Americans, Obama, who is obviously concerned with several environmental health issues, had paved the way for mercury-free society and has likewise stopped smoking.
The US Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008, prohibits the transfer of elemental mercury by federal agencies, bans U.S. export of elemental mercury by 2013, and requires the Department of Energy to designate and manage an elemental mercury long-term disposal facility.
“P-Noy can definitely make this country a mercury-free Philippines with an EO,” Ferrer added. “Our new President needs to see that the calls to stop smoking and ban mercury are not personal attacks to him. Both issues impact his health and people’s health and his immediate environment and everyone’s environment,” said Ferrer.

Likewise, Ban Toxics an environmental justice group supported the call saying if Aquino is serious in addressing the problems of the nation, he should do an Obama, and finally put an end to mercury importation in the country.

“The Philippines does not produce mercury. Toxic mercury is traded to us from foreign sources. Banning the imports of mercury, particularly mercury destined for sectors that are phasing it out and those engaged in unsustainable uses, is the logical and safest thing to do,” stated Atty. Richard Gutierrez, Executive Director of Ban Toxics.

“With an EO, P-Noy can also quickly address the removal of this toxin in schools, where the Philippines has experienced its most documented mercury spill ever,” says Gutierrez.

In 2006, a school in Las Pinas had to be cleaned-up for mercury spill. Twenty-four students wound in the hospital as confirmed cases of mercury poisoning.

“The effects of mercury on the brain and nervous system are incurable and permanent. We do not want another mercury spill to happen and no parent would wish this misfortune upon any child,” added Gutierrez.

“President-elect Aquino may do more than Obama thru an immediate ban of mercury importation into our country,” Ferrer expressed. “The US banned its mercury exports 20 days before Obama even took office. We are confident that P-Noy can do more by doing this within his first 20 days or less in office,” Ferrer optimistically said.


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.

Ban Toxics is a non-profit environmental organization that seeks to promote environmental justice and prevent dumping of toxic wastes and products in the Southeast Asian region. It is a member of the Basel Action Network, Zero Mercury Working Group, and International POPs Elimination Network. For more information, see www.bantoxics.org.

Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org
Richard Gutierrez, +63 2 929 1635; richard@bantoxics.org

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP PUSHES FOR STRONGER MERCURY POLICY

NEWS RELEASE

June 11, 2010

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP PUSHES FOR STRONGER MERCURY POLICY

Stockholm, Sweden – As the world’s government gathers to negotiate on a mercury treaty, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) calls on the Philippine government to “put teeth into the Health Department’s AO 21” by ordering immediate importation ban on mercury.

Administrative Order 21 which mandates the gradual phase-out of all mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by September 2010 “needs not just teeth, but claws as well, to make it work,” says Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care, at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Prepare a Global Legally Binding Instrument on Mercury (INC1) in Stockholm, Sweden.

“While the Philippines is leading in terms of having a national policy on mercury phase-out in health care, we are lacking in implementation,” Ferrer pointed out. “The Department of Health (DoH) is targeting 100% mercury phase-out in the DoH-retained hospitals by September but there are 1,851 hospitals all over the country, not to mention the rural health units and other small health facilities controlled by the local government.”

Barely three months into the DoH imposed deadline, several facilities are still at a lost of where to source funding for mercury alternatives. “Funding is already allocated but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has yet to release it,” says Ferrer.

Mercurial thermometers and sphygmomanometers are still readily available in big and small drugstores operating in the country. Another concern raised by those already phasing-out mercurial devices is on the longer disposal area for phased-out devices.

Towards the tipping point
Just in time for the INC1 meeting, HCWH and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a two-year progress report on the Global Mercury-Free Health Care Initiative. The report highlights the mercury phase-out and substitution happening around the globe as well the national policies being enacted by different governments.

The global initiative aims to phase-out the demand for mercury-containing fever thermometers and sphygmomanometers by at least 70% and to shift the production of these mercury-containing devices to accurate, affordable and safer non-mercury alternatives.



According to the report, “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 towards the alternatives.”

The report maybe downloaded from http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/mercury/Toward_the_Tipping_Point.pdf

Health care without mercury treaty
When government leaders are pushing for mercury phase-out around the globe thru a treaty, HCWH, International Council of Nurses, World Federation of Public Health Associations and Doctors for the Environment are calling on the health sector to lead the way in mercury phase-out.

The group of health workers aims to make sure that the treaty being negotiated will protect human health and the global environment, supports a transformation to a mercury-free health care, and promotes health by phasing-out a broad spectrum of mercury-related activities and products—restrict the global flow of mercury, phase-out mercury use and emissions and foster alternatives to mercury.

The health sector’s platform for INC1 may be downloaded at http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/mercury/Health_Sector_Platform_for_INC1.pdf.


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, June 4, 2010

MERCURY (PHASE-OUT) IS IN THE AIR

NEWS RELEASE

June 4, 2010

MERCURY (PHASE-OUT) IS IN THE AIR
HCWH-SEA-Collins International Trading Corporation-Watsons Personal Care Stores Phils. taking mercury phase-out in health care to greater heights

The summer steaming heat alternated by constant rain may just be the condition needed for mercury to vaporize. But no need to worry, mercury phase-out is in the air this World Environment Day as Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) gains two more partners in phasing-out mercury in health care.

Barely three months before the deadline of mercury phase-out in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions, Collins International Trading Corp (CITC), a distributor of mercury alternatives in health care and Watsons Personal Care Stores (Phil.), Inc have teamed-up with HCWH-SEA in intensifying campaign to put mercury devices to a rest and provide alternatives to health care facilities and the general public.

“Now that we are nearing the September 2010 deadline as prescribed by Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order 21, we want both the health care sector and the general public to know why we are phasing out mercury devices, what are the dangers of continuous use, the alternatives available and guidelines on temporary storing old mercurial devices both at home and in the health care setting,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between the three parties. “We want this information available to as many people as possible.”

Early this year, HCWH-SEA in partnership with the DoH-Center for Health Development (CHD) conducted regional conferences on mercury phase-out in health care in all the regions in the country. The conferences were attended by public and private health units, as well as local government unit (LGU)-controlled health facilities.

“Knowing the dangers of mercury, the public are keen to find available alternatives,” Ferrer said. “We do not just say, stop using mercury devices. We present viable alternatives.” At the regional conferences, distributors of mercurial alternatives were present to show the varied choices as well as respond to queries on accuracy and affordability of the device.

Preventing the mercury poison
“As a distributor of household and medical products, it is in the core vision of CITC to deliver carefully chosen quality products at reasonable prices in order to uplift the living and working standards of our clientele,” said Omron Healthcare Brand Marketing Manager Julie Lee.

“We do not want the irreversible damage of mercury exposure in our conscience. We do not want to cause it or to be an accessory to the crime of mercury poisoning,” Lee lamented.

“Although irreversible, the damage is preventable,” Lee pointed out. CITC, ever since acquiring Omron, has never distributed any mercurial healthcare devices and recently have been actively supporting the campaign on mercury phase-out. Omron is the medical product being distributed by CITC.

Although regularly faced with questions of accuracy and affordability of mercurial alternatives, Collins are keen on guiding their clients in its transition to mercury-free devices.

“Stories of health care facilities who have successfully shifted to mercury-free devices should inspire others to make the switch,” Ferrer said. “We cannot always go back to mercury devices just because one alternative failed our test. We need to continue testing more alternatives until we get the best one.”

According to AO 21, each hospital will designate a Mercury Management Team to study the alternatives.

Mercury-Free Watsons
Watsons Personal Care Stores Phils., on the other hand, has bid mercury-containing equipment such as thermometers and blood pressure monitors goodbye in its 176 stores around the country.

Flyers on mercury—its toxicity and tips on handling mercury spillage—will be distributed in all the stores. While a public service announcement (PSA) with HCWH-SEA and VJ Juddha Paolo will be played in all Watsons’ TV screens.

The mercury phase-out campaign has gained the support of celebrities VJ Juddha Paolo and Albert Martinez.

“With 176 stores all over the country and an average of hundred customers daily, we will reach 176,000 people everyday. We hope that they will share what they have learned to their friends and family who will then pass it on forward to more people,” said Robert U. Sun, Chief Operating Officer of Watsons Personal Care Stores (Phils.), Inc.

“This is our own way of contributing to environmental health,” he added.

Watsons pharmacists and pharmacy assistants will be given training materials on the harmful effects of mercury-containing devices. “We will guide our staff on the dangers of mercury and encourage them to actively explain this to customers,” said Sun. “The more contagious the information is, the better.”

Watsons is donating 1,000 thermometers to 50 government hospitals while CITC is donating 5,000 digital thermometers to HCWH partner hospitals.

Moving forward mercury phase-out
“We need to create this level of awareness in order for things to move forward,” said Ferrer. “Mercury phase-out does not stop with the phase-out per se. We need to provide alternatives. We need to find an intermediate disposal for all the phased-out devices.”

HCWH-SEA, DoH and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) are in the process of discussing intermediate disposal for mercury and importation ban on mercury. Likewise, HCWH-SEA is involved with a United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) Project (1) which targets to identify a possible intermediate disposal area for mercury.

“Partnership with private enterprises like Collins International and Watsons are also very helpful, as well as working with concerned government agencies and officials,” Ferrer added.

HCWH-SEA earlier asked the presidential aspirants to support mercury phase-out thru the Green Health Covenant (http://GreenHealthCovenant.multiply.com). Only five have expressed support including president-in-waiting Senator Noynoy Aquino.

“We are also looking at national and international policies that will cover all aspects of the mercury issue,” Ferrer said.

“Our responsibility will not stop with this partnership. We will continue to support other endeavors with regards to providing quality service and products that is safe for the people and the environment,” said Lee. “This will be an unwritten rule for Collins-Omron: do no harm.”

“If we can influence people thru this partnership, then we are not far off from the goal of a mercury-free Philippines,” said Sun.

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, HCWH-SEA, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org

(1) The UNDP GEF (“Demonstrating and Promoting Best Techniques and Practices for Reducing Health Care Waste to Avoid Environmental Releases of Dioxins and Mercury”I) 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.