Asia

Ram Charitra Sah wins “First in Asia” Award

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Asia

The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry proudly announces its “First in Asia” Award to Ram Charitra Sah of Kathmandu, head of the very vibrant and effective NGO Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED) Nepal.  The award was presented by Siddika Sultana, Vice-President of World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry and Executive Director ESDO Bangladesh.

Nepal is the first country in all of Asia to achieve mercury-free dentistry!  The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, based in Washington with projects in 50 countries, provides this unique award that recognizes both the NGO leader who made it happen and the nation who came first.

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Arab Center for Environmental Health launches

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Africa, Asia
Ziyad Alalawneh

With the goal of serving all Arab nations across West Asia and North Africa, the Arab Center for Environmental Health has launched today from its headquarters in Amman.  The announcement was jointly made at a ceremony on 7 July by the Secretary General of the Jordan Ministry of Environment, Dr. Mohammed Khashashneh, and by the Center’s founding director, the experienced NGO leader Ziyad Alalawneh, leader of the NGO Land and Human to Advocate Progress. 

Dedicating the Arab Center for Environmental Health, Secretary General Khashashneh, a world-renowned leader in writing and implementing environmental treaties, said, “We are honored that the Center is headquartered here in Amman, and we look forward to bringing together Jordan and other Arab governments, international bodies, civil society, and universities to build a toxic-free society for future generations.”

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The Philippines is phasing out amalgam

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Asia

The Philippines Department of Health just completed and signed an administrative order that phases out dental amalgam in the Philippines in three years!  Furthermore, it immediately bans amalgam use in pregnant women, children under the age of 14, breastfeeding mothers, and persons with compromised renal and immune systems.

With this accomplishment, the Philippines becomes the second country in Asia (after Nepal) within a year to announce plans to phase out amalgam use – proving that this risky mercury product is not needed anywhere.

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Nepal bans amalgam use in children and announces phase-out plan

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Asia

Nepal is the first country in Asia to announce its plan to phase out amalgam use.

Joining several other nations in Europe, Asia, and Africa, Nepal recently declared it is banning amalgam use right now in children under 15, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

Then Nepal is going further: It will finish with amalgam use, on a plan being implemented over a five-year period, as alternatives become fully available there and while it revamps dental school curriculum to focus on mercury-free filling materials instead of amalgam. Continue reading →

Pakistani provinces issue advisory notes against amalgam use in children under age 15

World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry Asia

Success was the outcome of Dr. Mahmood Khwaja of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)’s campaign for mercury-free dentistry in Pakistan.

The Directorate General Health Services for the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in Pakistan issued an advisory note, entitled, “Advisory Note to Avoid/Restrict Mercury Dental Amalgam Fillings for Children (below the age of 15 years) in KPK, to safeguard their health at their very early age” (notification No. 2405-70 dated 10 July 2018).   Continue reading →