Asia Regional Conference
The Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Healthcare: Phasing-out mercury-containing fever thermometers and sphygmomanometers was organized by HCWH-AP, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Development Program-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) Global Healthcare Waste project.
In 2006, the Southeast Asia Conference on Mercury in Health Care held in the Philippines prompted action in the Philippines on the use of mercury devices in the health care sector and its subsequent consequences to global health and
the environment.
In 2008, the WHO and HCWH launched the Global Initiative to substitute mercury-based medical devices with safer, affordable and accurate alternatives.
The Asia Regional Conference came several years after the first mercury-free conference initiative. It was designed to learn from the success that the Philippine health sector has had in substituting mercury-based medical measuring devices with safe, accurate, and affordable alternatives, while also looking into challenges such as the management of mercury waste and guidelines for procurement of sustainable alternatives.
Participants included more than 100 representatives of health and environment ministries, health professionals, hospitals, and health sector organizations.
The historic conference focused on various global initiatives to phase-out mercury-based measuring devices in health care. Also discussed was the progress made by ten Asian countries, and insights from mercury-free healthcare that the Philippines instituted. Information on the storage and handling of mercury was also discussed, paving the way for a mercury-free world.
The Manila Declaration for Mercury Free Health Care is a significant output of the Conference.