Civil society organizations celebrate Africa Day for Amalgam-Free Dentistry

africa-day-for-amalgam-free-dentistry-2016-in-tanzaniaCivil society organizations (CSOs) across the continent are celebrating the third annual Africa Day for Amalgam-Free Dentistry.  The celebration this year is a particularly special one since they are calling upon African governments to ban the use of mercury-containing dental amalgam in children’s milk teeth.

Since, children are a vulnerable population and it is certain that the amalgam’s mercury in their milk teeth has for its final destination the environment, Africa CSOs dedicated this day, to raise awareness of all relevant stakeholders in order to push for the total ban of this mercury product in milk teeth. Continue reading

NGOs develop plan to implement mercury-free dentistry in Africa

UNEP Abigjan workshop (and side trips) 207On 25 April 2015, Francophone NGOs convened in Abidjan to discuss the route to mercury-free dentistry in Africa. This second NGO summit voted to create a road map that can be implemented in every African nation. Here, then, is the Abidjan Plan to implement the Abuja Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry for Africa*:

A. Political, legal and institutional level

  1. Work for government policies that will phase out amalgam use in Africa by the year 2020. Continue reading

40 African NGOs sign the Abuja Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry

DSCN0120Almost forty environmental, consumer, and human rights groups from African nations spanning the continent – west, east, north, south, and central – have signed the Abuja Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry for Africa.

The Abuja Declaration boldly declares, “Africa shall be the 1st continent to phase out amalgam.”  This declaration grew out of the West African Summit on Phasing Out Amalgam, held in Abuja, Nigeria in May 2014, a summit sponsored by the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry.