WHO calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure measuring devices by 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Care without Harm have joined forces to launch a new initiative to get mercury removed from all medical measuring devices by 2020.
The initiative Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020, launched today to mark the signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure devices containing mercury. This will be done by ending the manufacture, import and export of these devices and by supporting the deployment of accurate, affordable, and safer non-mercury alternatives.
Mercury and its various compounds are of global public health concern and have a range of serious health impacts including brain and neurological damage especially among the young. Others include kidney damage and damage to the digestive system.
Minamata Convention on Mercury
While the Minamata Convention allows countries to continue to use mercury in medical measuring devices until 2030 under certain special circumstances, WHO and the nongovernmental organization Health Care without Harm believe that the potential negative health consequences from mercury are so great that all should strive to meet the main target date of 2020 set out in the Convention.
