International Week of Mercury- free Dentistry Observed in Bangladesh and South Asia
To phase out mercury from dentistry in Bangladesh by 2017, Asian Center for Environmental Health observed the “International Week of Mercury free Dentistry from 17th to 25th August, 2015 in Bangladesh.
In collaboration with Environment and Social Development Organization- ESDO and World Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry (WAMFD), Asian Center implemented the week long activities to raise public awareness and to attain policy makers’ attention for a national regulation to ban dental amalgam uses and import. An Awareness event titled, “Mercury – Free Dentistry for Health and Environment” was organized jointly with City Dental College on 18th August, 2015. The event was a great success since approximately a 150 dentists and dental students attended the event. They were very supportive and exhibited great interest in phasing out mercury from dentistry.
Asian Center also conducted a day long mobile awareness campaign in different areas of Dhaka on 25th August, 2015. Some mercury free practicing dentists joined the organizing team. A practical demonstration and a one-to-one interaction were arranged between the dentists and the participating public. University faculties, students, and professionals from all walks eagerly participated in the campaign. Over 500 signatures were collected from them. It signifies their support to the initiative taken worldwide to keep dental health free of a poison like mercury. The participants were interested about further information dissemination about mercury dental amalgam. Participants extended their profound thanks to Asian Center and ESDO for arranging the mass awareness campaign on such an alarming issue both for environment and public health.
Mercury free Dentistry Week is an initiative to encourage consumers to reject amalgam. Amalgam is constituted of 50% of mercury which poses a great health risk. It is an incredibly potent neurotoxin; It does not take much time to cause serious damage because it is an absolute poison. It can also cause skin inflammation, fetal malformations, memory loss, high blood pressure, emotional instability, brain cancer, tremors, and miscarriage of pregnancy.
Under the umbrella of Asian Center for Environmental Health every partner organizations in South Asian countries like Nepal, India, Philippines, and Pakistan has also observed “Mercury- free Dentistry Week.”
In line with this, Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CPHED) had a radio program aired on 25th August on raising public awareness regarding mercury free dentistry in Nepal. Alongside, CPHED launched their radio PSA for 6 months from this day. CPHED also launched a facebook page dedicating to mercury free dental health care professionals.
International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has teamed up with other organizations and delivered dental services to observe the Mercury free Dentistry Week in Phillipines. Their program ‘Bantay Ngipin’ program strictly follows mercury free practices and places importance of patient education. Dr. Lillian Ebuen, Executive Director of IAOMT has acknowledged that in a country where daily needs take precedence over dental health, reaching out to vulnerable groups is vital.
Dillip Pattanaik, Coordinator at National Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry in India, arranged a rally engaging dental students while observing the International Mercury free dentistry in India. He also arranged the 1st Steering Committee Meeting of the “National Alliance for Mercury Free Dentistry in India – Odisha a Model State” engaging dental surgeons to prepare Strategic Plan of Action .
Consumers for Dental Choice, a USA based organization, has organized similar activities to celebrate International Mercury Free Dentistry. It suggested three ways to help boosting the campaign which are: (a) Using only mercury free dentists, (b) Joining Consumers for Dental Choice’s Newsletter, and (c) Making a generous donation to accelerate the campaign. Attorney Charlie Brown, President of the Consumers for Dental Choice and the WAFMD has been leading the charge to eliminate this pernicious toxin from dentistry around the world since the negotiations for the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Marghub Murshed, Chairperson of ESDO and former Secretary, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh said, “It is high time we acted against mercury amalgam, a silent killer to ensure a sustainable environment for our next generation.”
Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO said, “Since, the project ‘mercury free Dentistry’ initiated in Bangladesh, has gained a momentum. Since, the dental surgeons of Bangladesh Dental Society (BDS) have been supporting this initiative from the beginning; we hope that we can phase out mercury from Dentistry by 2017 from Bangladesh.”
Dr. Mirza Arifur Rahman, Joint Secretary of BDS appreciated the activities of Mercury Free Week organized by Asian Center. He said, “Most of the public dental colleges have left practicing dentistry using mercury. If the private colleges also follow them, both practitioners and the patients will be saved from mercury poisoning.”
Brigadier General Golam Mohiuddin, Adviser Specialist in dentistry at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka Cantonment, has always been a supportive figure to Asian Center’s ‘Mercury free Dentistry’ project, said, “ CMH has already lessened importing mercury capsule by 50%. In addition to that, we are going to provide training on practicing mercury alternatives.”
ESDO has been working on banning mercury from dentistry since 2010. It is working on implementing the Minamata Convention in Bangladesh. The Asian Center established in 2013, functioning on Mercury free Dentistry project, works with and welcomes input from national and local government, academic, institutions, and civil societies (i.e. NGOs, industry, consumers and media) and international agencies throughout Asia-Pacific region.
Posted by admin
on Aug 31 2015. Filed under Bangladesh Exclusive.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
Loading ...