ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP CALLS ON RP TO LEAD MERCURY PHASE-OUT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

October 23, 2008

Contact:
Sonia G. Astudillo, Communications Officer, 0918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, Program Officer for Mercury, 0920 9327151, faye@hcwh.org
Josh Karliner, International Team Coordinator, josh@hcwh.org

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP CALLS ON RP TO LEAD MERCURY PHASE-OUT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia today launches “End of an Era,” a report documenting the US healthcare sector’s success at replacing the “acutely toxic and globally polluting” mercury blood pressure measuring devices (sphygmomanometers) with alternatives and encourages the Philippines to lead the Southeast Asian region in the global mercury phase-out.

“Philippines is leading the way for its Southeast Asian neighbors and other developing countries with the recent signing of the Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order mandating the phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities by 2010,” said Josh Karliner, International Team Coordinator of HCWH and a co-author of the report.

The report released in September is intended for Europe audience to push for the immediate phase-out of mercury sphygmomanometers but is also relevant for the rest of the world US and Europe have both phased-out mercury thermometers but the report shows that US is well out in front of Europe when it comes to mercury column sphygmomanometers—the largest reservoir of mercury in health care. The European Union scientific committee is set to assess the accuracy of alternative devices this Fall.

“Everywhere around the world, people are recognizing the urgent need to phase-out mercury. The risk to people, wildlife and the environment is an acknowledged fact. The Philippines may very well take precedent in the US’s,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Coordinator for Mercury.

Karliner added that the US health care sector has proven that the mercury blood pressure measurement is accurate and safe for human health and the environment.

“Considering that alternatives give the same result minus the hazards, it is affordable even in Philippine setting,” Ferrer pointed out.

Deploying a series of letters from leading US health care systems, the report documents how several major US health providers have completely phased-out mercury-based sphygmomanometers and have had little, if any problem with the alternatives-- digital and aneroid blood pressure cuffs.

Once ubiquitous in the US health care setting, today mercury is increasingly hard to find in US hospitals. The report notes that similar change is also taking place in other parts of the world—from Argentina to South Africa.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, threatening the health of patients and health care workers alike. When released into the environment, this hazardous chemical also bio accumulates in fish all around the world, undermining global public health.

The report is available at:
http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=2030

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)