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ISDE Junior
Today (2015-11-24) ISDE Italia launched the PROGRAM on e-education
and ISDE Junior. 
Health experts call on newly elected Canadian government to
protect health and ban asbestos
Kathleen Ruff, RightOnCanada.ca, November 12, 2015: Over 140 civil
society organisations (inclusing ISDE), medical doctors and health
experts from Canada and around the world have written
to Canada's newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, calling on
his government to ban asbestos.
Asbestos is the biggest occupational killer
of Canadian workers, yet millions of dollars' worth of
asbestos-containing goods are imported into Canada each year,
exposing increased numbers of Canadians to harm.
For decades, the Canadian government funded the asbestos lobby and
has played a leading global role to promote the use of asbestos in
countries in the global South.
Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
After 5 years of hard work, ISDE International Secretary is glad to
announce you that from NOW on Environmental Persistent
Pharmaceutical Pollutants (EPPP)
is part of the International Agenda of Chemicals.
After an intense week of discussion and deliberations, the
International Conference on Chemical Management -ICCM 4-
under the Strategic Approach for the International Management of
Chemicals -SAICM declare by CONSENSUS that chemicals of
pharmaceutical origin present and persistent in the environment
are a a new and emerging issue of concern.
ISDE presented this issue at the Open Ended Working Group of
SAICM on 2011 and since then have been working to make this
important issue visible and comprensible for countries and
different stakeholders.
EPPP is an emerging problem and consequences on health are not
yet well defined. The current scenario of pollution, by example of
surface water with this kind of chemicals from pharmaceutical, is
not well known either but the scientific evidence is strong and
increasing fast enough to call the attention of all sectors and
invite them to work together.
SAICM ICCM4 invited the different sectors to join effort to work
and develop a Global Plan of Work to tackle this problem.
From now on, medical doctors and health professionals in general
have a new commitment and is expected to take active part and
promote actions among colleagues, Public Health authorities as
well as inform patients on the best practices.
Chemicals in Products
Dr.Mahmood A. Khwaja, Senior Adviser, Chemicals, Hazardous
Wastes/Sites and Sustainable Industrial Development, SDPI, Islamabad
was invited participant, representing International Society of
Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), of the three-day workshop, July
7-9, 2015 on "Chemicals in Products (CiP)", in Beijing, China. The
workshop was organized by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
and Ministry of Environmental Protection of China (MEP-FECO). Forty
four (44) stakeholders, representing government, industry, R& D
institutions, environment and health NGOs, chemical agencies, UNEP
and others, from 17 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe & USA/West
Indies and Latin America, participated in the workshop.
Presentations were made on two draft documents for CiP
information exchange, entitled "The Chemicals in Products Program
(version 5), June, 2015" and "Chemicals in Products - Guidance for
Stakeholders in Exchange Chemicals in Products Information
(version 5), June, 2015".
Presentations were followed by exhaustive discussion by the
participants. Several interventions were made by ISDE
representative, to emphasize related health issues, resulting from
chemical exposure and the likely challenges for CiP program in
developing countries. In the approved finalized documents, many of
ISDE recommendations, including disclosure of information on CIP
"Thresholds", and training of trainers (ToT) CiP workshops for
capacity building, specially in the developing countries were
accepted.
The two agreed final draft documents would be submitted to ICCM
4, by UNEP for approval in the forthcoming international
conference on chemicals management (ICCM 4) meeting in Geneva,
September, 2015.
Presentation at UN conference
Dr. Cathey Falvo speaks at the annual conference of parties to the
Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: On the need to
integrate public health into the entire process of planning programs
to reduce human and environmental damage from the use of small arms
and light weapons.
Excellence in Research
Awarded to Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja, FCSP, Senior Adviser, Chemicals,
Hazardous Wastes/Sites and Sustainable Industrial Development,
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan
by World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry, Washington, USA and
Asian Center for Environmental Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh, during
South - South East Asian NGOs summit, November 14, 2014, Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Dr. Khwaja research, supported by his team, at dental
sites proved the dangers of mercury amalgam use to the health care
employees of dental clinics.
Climate Change and Health
Climate change or global warming has been a controversial issue for
many years. Many people have denied it exists or claimed that it is
a natural phenomenon. However over the past 25 years an ongoing
concerted and co-ordinated international assessment by thousands of
scientists from many disciplines of all available evidence has
indicated that it is happening and that it is being largely caused
by human activity. Furthermore there is evidence the pace of change
is increasing and that the rising temperature and associated weather
and environmental effects pose a serious and immediate threat to
global ecosystems upon which we all depend. This paper attempts to summarise current
knowledge with an emphasis on human health effects along with some
suggestions regarding urgent steps required to alleviate the
situation.
WMA Statement on the Prevention of Air pollution due to Vehicle
Emissions
The 65th World Medical Assembly, Durban, South Africa, October 2014
adopted a new Statement on air pollution.
Guideline for the Siting of Base-Stations
Austrian Doctors for the Environment (ISDE Austria) have published a
new version of the (German) Guideline
for the Siting of Base-Stations. This guideline informs communal
policy makers who are responsible for the siting of base stations.
It recommends a public participation process and a guideline value
of 1 mW/m² in dwellings. The guideline has been developed in close
cooperation by an expert team from the Medical University of Vienna,
the Austrian Board of Medical Doctors, the Workers Union, Industry
Representatives, and the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board.
Obituary of Tony McMichael
Tony McMichael was the senior figure in climate change and health
for the last 25 years. His obituary just appeared in the Guardian.
Colin Butler on Climate Change
The bood of our Australian member is presented at an event at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Climate Change is a Health Crisis
Today (2014-09-22) at least 310,000 folks showed up in New York City
to march for UN members to pay serious attention to the threat to
humanity and the planet from climate change. Several hundred health
professionals marched with a large representation from PSR-ISDE USA.
Joint statement of Non-State actors' representatives
Catalyzing
Action: prepared for the United Nations Climate Summit – New
York – 23 of September 2014
Poster competition
Chemicals Impacts on Environment and Children Health: Beware of
Mercury!
Envo Info Islamabad, 03 December 2013
International Conference
The International Network for Children's Health, Environment and
Safety (INCHES)
organised its 7th international conference, 20-22 November, 2013, in
Jerusalem, Israel. With more than 200 participants from all over the
world the conference was very successful. President of the INCHES
board and past president of ISDE, Dr. Peter van den Hazel, gives his
final statement at the closing ceremony.
Health Risks of Chrysotile Revisited
ISDE as well as several ISDE affiliates supported a letter to the
editor. One of the signers, Dr. Zigby, is from the Canadian ISDE
affiliate CAPE:
We wish to make a complaint to you regarding the article, Health Risks of Chrysotile Revisited, which
was published by Critical Reviews in Toxicology (Crit Rev Toxicol,
2013; 43(2): 154-183). read more...
UN NGO Disarmament Committee
Dr. Andrew Kanter, past president of PSR, representing IPPNW and
ISDE, spoke on Nuclear Winter at the UN NGO disarmament committee
11/12/2013
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