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Dr Maria Rebecca Peñafiel, Department of Health, Philippines

Dr Jorge Emmanuel, UNDP-GEF Global Health Care Waste Project

Ms Merci Ferrer, Executive Director, HCWH South East Asia

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to address the opening of this Asia Regional Conference on

Mercury-Free Health Care. On behalf of WHO, I wish to extend warm welcome to

you all to the Conference and to Manila.

Mercury is an important public health issue. 

  At ambient pressure and temperature, mercury is liquid, but readily vaporizes.

80% of inhaled mercury is absorbed into the blood through lungs

  Mercury is highly toxic, particularly when it is metabolized into organic mercury,

such as methyl mercury.

  Mercury has the potential to cause harmful effects to nervous, digestive,

respiratory and immune systems, as well as developmental defects during fetus

development

The health care sector is one of main sources of mercury and is responsible for the

public health impacts of its own mercury pollution.

  Medical waste incineration is responsible for as much as 10% of all mercury

releases to air

  Mercury discharge in waste water from health care facilities is a main source of 

mercury pollution in water bodies.

  Mercury containing medical equipment, when it breaks, can lead to a spillage of 

mercury, exposing health care workers and the visitors to the health care facility

to the toxic effects of mercury.

WHO recognizes a need for urgent action, and has issued a policy on the phasingout of mercury-based medical devices from the health care sector.

UNEP has also initiated a global effort to eliminate mercury-containing products

from all sectors, and an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee has been

established to create a legally binding instrument on mercury, which would be

somewhat similar to POPs.

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In this global effort, WHO and Health Care Without Harm have entered into a

global partnership to virtually eliminate mercury thermometers and blood pressure

devices over the next decade.

  WHO and Health Care Without Harm will co-lead the group on the elimination of 

mercury from health care settings.

The Philippines, the host of this conference, is one of several developing countries in

the world which have made commitment to phasing out mercury-containing medical

devises.

  The Administrative Order of the Department of Health in the Philippines

demonstrates a clear government commitment to phasing-out mercury based

medical devices in the country.

  Governments and health systems throughout Asia have started to develop

mercury-free health care initiatives that are both technically and financially viablein a diversity of settings.

WHO, in collaboration with Health Care Without Harm, will work with the

Philippines and other countries in the region to develop their policies and

programmes to achieve mercury-free health care.

This conference is timely, and will help advance the regional effort towards mercury-free

health care, which will in turn contribute to the global effort. We look forward to fruitful

discussions during the conference.

Thank you.