Friday, September 16, 2011

UN Human Rights Report Calls for An End to Medical Waste Incineration

Contact: Sonia G. Astudillo; +63 9189182369
Merci Ferrer; +63 9209056113


UN Human Rights Report Calls for An End to Medical Waste Incineration

Manila. Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) today praised an official report by a Special Rapporteur to the United Nations Human Rights Council that calls for an end to the incineration of medical waste in order to protect human health and the environment.

The report focuses on "the adverse effects that the unsound management and disposal of medical waste may have on the enjoyment of human rights." It details a broad range of human rights impacts derived from poor health care waste management in a diversity of countries.

"This is a ground breaking document," said Ruth Stringer, International Science and Policy Coordinator for HCWH and author of the HCWH submission to the process. "Not only does the Special Rapporteur document heinous conditions in around the world, but his recommendations call for a progressive series of actions to protect people’s right to health and a clean environment."

In his prepared statement to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur, Calin Georgescu called for "The replacement of incineration as a disposal method of hazardous medical waste with more environmentally-friendly and safe methods of disposal, such as autoclaving."

"The findings of the Special Rapporteur draw from clear scientific evidence and validate the direct experience of thousands of communities around the world who have suffered from the negative health impacts of medical waste incineration" said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH South East Asia. “This is a very timely report especially for the Philippines where government officials are proposing the revival of incinerators by making medical waste as the primary excuse to do so.”
Affirming that "medical staff, patients, workers in support services linked to health-care facilities, workers in waste disposal facilities, recyclers, scavengers and the general public" are all impacted by medical waste, the Special Rapporteur also recommends dedicating greater financial resources to sustainable health care waste management. He further calls for the development of "a comprehensive international legal framework" to protect human health and the environment from the scourge of healthcare waste.

To complement the report from the Special Rapporteur, HCWH today publicly released its own report, which HCWH staff, with the assistance of network members and waste management experts across Africa, Asia and Latin America, assembled. It represents a large body of information which was submitted to the Special Rapporteur for his consideration. HCWH's submission was joined by submissions from the secretariat of the Basel Convention, the secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Centre for International Environmental Law.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

ENVI-HEALTH GROUP COMMENDS CITY RESOLUTION ON MED WASTE, RAISE CONCERN ON POSSIBLE MED WASTE INCINERATION REVIVAL

Environment health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today commends a city resolution under discussion in Puerto Princesa City Council that would ensure safe and proper disposal of medical, infectious and toxic medical waste.

The resolution proposed by Councilor Miguel Cuaderno IV will use autoclave in the treatment of infectious medical wastes from hospitals, infirmaries, birthing homes, clinics, laboratories, drug manufacturers, institutions, mortuary and autopsy centers.

“This resolution shows that what we need right now is the strict implementation of law through local ordinances,” said Merci Ferrer of HCWH-SEA. “Not revival of incinerators or promotion of incineration-in-disguise projects and waste-to-energy projects” after the collapse of a Baguio City dumpsite.

In August 2010, HCWH-SEA together with other environment organizations dialogued with the Department of Health (DoH) after it obtained a copy of the Department’s Health Executive Agenda for Legislation (HEAL) proposing amendment to the Clean Air Act by re-allowing the use of incinerations. DoH immediately retracted the proposal.

The group is concerned that the DoH would soon propose the use of medical waste incinerators to address wastes coming from the health care sector following recent announcements from the MMDA and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV pushing for the use of incinerators to address the burgeoning waste problem in Metro Manila.

“We would like to remind MMDA Chairman Atty. Francis Tolentino and Sen. Trillianes that there are safe and far more economical ways of minimizing wastes, treating and then disposing them properly without sacrificing the environment and the health of the people,” said Ferrer.

“Time and again, we pushed for reduction-reuse-recycle when it comes to waste management both in households and health care system,” said Ferrer. “In hospitals for example, 90% of medical wastes when properly segregated are regular household wastes that maybe reused or recycled and composted. The remaining 10% infectious wastes are then handled using alternative waste treatment technologies such as autoclave and microwave.”

She added that hospitals around the country have proven that through proper waste management and the use of alternative waste treatment technologies, the volume of wastes have significantly decreased. The budget for managing the wastes has likewise decreased. In fact, through recycling and composting, these hospitals were able to raise additional income for their hospitals.

“Incineration will not solve the garbage problem,” said Ferrer. “Without the basics of waste minimization and proper waste segregation, all wastes will end up being incinerated.” Incineration releases dioxins and furans, two of the most toxic and persistent pollutants known to science.

“We are worsening the already grim situation of our garbage,” said Ferrer. “Zero toxin emission is a hoax.”

The group is encouraging the health care sector to continue implementing proper waste management and to rally against possible medical and solid waste incineration revival. “The health care sector people know first-hand the ill-effects of incineration to health.”

They are likewise encouraging local governments to follow the model of Puerto Princesa City in working towards proper waste management not just in the hospital but for the whole community.