ASIA and Pacific Regional consultation for the second meeting of the parties to the ‘Minamata convention on Mercury’ was held on 23-24 October, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO and Director Asian Center for Environmental Health is attending the meeting.
On yesterday a draft CRP of Asian Region to amend Minamata Convention provisions on Dental Amalgam has come out. Which are following below-
1. The Minamata Convention on Mercury’s main objective is “To protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.” As stated in the convention’s preamble, this includes awareness of “Health concerns, especially in developing countries resulting from exposures to mercury of vulnerable populations, especially women, children and through them, future generations.”
2.Dental amalgam, one of the largest of intentional uses of mercury worldwide, remains a serious source of mercury exposure for children even though a variety of quality mercury-free alternatives have already been developed.
3.Having taken into account their domestic circumstances and relevant international guidance, countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are focusing on the most cost effective measure to phase down amalgam use: minimizing it’s use and promoting the use of mercury-free alternatives by ending amalgam use in vulnerable populations, especially children, as quickly as possible while developing plans to phase out all amalgam use.
4.In March 2018, Bangladesh Dental Society made a declaration on ‘Stop Mercury Dental Amalgam for pregnant women, Nursing Mother and Children by June, 2018.’ The federal government of Pakistan restricts the use of Mercury dental amalgam in September , 2018. Draft dental college curriculum which incorporates changes are under finalization by the Indian Dental Council Armed Forces Dental Services declared the ban of amalgam use in 2016. 90% of Indian Railways has gone mercury free. The Vietnam Odonto-Stomatology Association released it’s recommendation on “Stop using Dental amalgam for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women by August, 2018, and for all people by 2020.”
5.We propose end of 2020 as the cut-off date for the phase out of dental amalgam use in children and women of child bearing age.
6.Prior to COP3, we urge each country to take steps toward ending amalgam for children and women in child bearing age.
