Quality Work Through Dedication
Children’s Environmental Health Foundation-CEHF.
As we begin our commemoration for the International Lead Prevention week this week, this is a reminder that lead poisoning is a global concern. Governments across the world must prioritize stopping production or importation of lead products to protect our children
Children’s Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF) joins the rest of Africa in celebrating Africa Day for Amalgam- free dentistry.
Children’s Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF) joins the rest of Africa in celebrating Africa Day for Amalgam- free dentistry.
The celebration this year is a particularly special one since we are calling for African governments to ban the use of mercury containing Amalgam in children’s milk teeth and complete ban in adults for Zambia.
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 and this affect the environmental health of the wellbeing of our communities.
CEHF is calling for all African countries to work together through our Governments as a team so that Africa be the first continent with mercury –free dentistry considering that the current amount of dental amalgam used in Africa is much closer to zero than in other continents.
The mercury in dental amalgam is toxic to the patient and dentist.
There is no capacity in most countries in Africa to dispose off amalgam waste and is very costly.
In some countries in Africa like Zambia the Governments have phased out mercury containing products (thermometers and BP machines) as well as stopped the use of dental amalgam in children in hospitals.
The African countries efforts during the negotiations of the Minamata Convention was great as they worked very hard to make sure that reduction in dental amalgam was done generally and call for an end to amalgam use.
The Minamata Convention on mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
Zambia like other countries in Africa is a signatory to the Minamata convention that was signed on 10th October 2013 and ratified on 11th March 2016. The Minamata convention on Mercury came into force on 16th August 2017.