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Health Care Without Harm-The campaign for environmentally responsible health care.
Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of health care professionals, labor unions, environmental health and religious organizations. Health Care Without Harm is based on the premise that health care providers have a responsibility to eliminate practices that harm public health and the environment. Their goals include: working with constituencies for an ecoligically sustainable health care system; promoting policies that eliminate incineration of medical waste, minimizing the amount and toxicity of waste generated, and promoting the use of safer materials and treatment practices; and developing health-based standards for medical waste management and to recognize the public's right to know about chemical use in the health care industry.
To learn more about Health Care Without Harm, or to join the campaign, please email info@hcwh.org or visit their website at www.noharm.org
Source: Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Health Care, Health Care Without Harm, 2006 |
When is health care harmful? - When medical waste is incenerated, dioxin, mercury, and other pollutants are released into the air.
- Mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is found in many thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, lab chemicals, and cleaning products. As many as 395,000 children are born each year at risk of learning disabilities because of mercury-contaminated fish.
- PVC plastic and DEHP can leech out of the product and into the patient. DEHP has been linked to birth defects and other health problems.
- Pesticides and toxic cleaners are poisonous and contribute to air and water pollution.
- Building materials can release toxic chemicals, threatening the health of the inhabitants over the lifespan of the building, and then the occupants of the community where the building materials are disposed of when it is torn down.
Source: Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Health Care, Health Care Without Harm, Pub 2-02; version: June 6, 2006 |
Goals of Health Care Without Harm: - Waste minimization and safer waste disposal. HCWH is working with community activists to shut down waste incinerators worldwide. Thousands have been closed in the past ten years. Many hospitals are using non-incineration technology that is just as efficient and does not produce dioxin.
- Aggressive waste minimization and recycling programs for hospitals and reducing usage of toxic chemicals
- Safer plastics and health care products-the FDA has warned that DEHP leeching from PVC may be harmful to some patients- particularly pregnant women and boys. PVC and DEHP-free alternatives are available for most uses in health care. Major health systems are phasing out their use of PVC.
- Mercury free medicine. Over 1,000 health care institutions in the US have committed to making their facilities mercury-free. The top five retail pharmacy chains in the US have pledged to stop selling mercury thermometers.
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