WEBINAR - Managing mercury waste from dental amalgam and medical measuring devices: sharing existing knowledge and initiatives

When: Monday 9 December, 1pm to 3pm CET

Where: Online Teams - Registration link

In light of recent decisions of the fourth and fifth Conferences of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP-4 and COP-5), efforts towards the compliance with the Convention requirements should, among others, consider health and environmental matters jointly, ensuring as well as Parties and relevant stakeholders’ engagement on key information sharing and targeted actions.

The Global Mercury Partnership and its areas of work on mercury in products and mercury waste management are committed to building capacities in this area. The Global Mercury Partnership is providing targeted technical assistance on specific components under the two GEF-funded projects on:

• "Phasing down the use of dental amalgam" in Senegal, Thailand and Uruguay;
• “Phasing out mercury measuring devices in healthcare”, in Albania, Burkina Faso, India, Montenegro and Uganda.

In this context, the Partnership and the World Health Organization are organising a joint information-sharing webinar.

The event aims at exchanging knowledge and case studies on the sound management of mercury wastes, either resulting from the use of dental amalgam or medical devices, among project countries and broader stakeholders.

AGENDA

Opening remarks and scene setting - Benoit Varenne, Oral Health, WHO; Motoharu Yatani, Co-lead of the Waste Management Area, UNEP Global Mercury Partnership

Latest tools and practices for managing mercury wastes, facilitated by Misuzu Azari, co-lead of the Waste Management Area

• Addressing Hg waste management under the Minamata Convention: latest updates and way forward, Eisaku Toda, Minamata Convention Secretariat
• Adapting existing knowledge, technologies and practices to the low- and middle-income countries’ contexts: key aspects, challenges and recommendations, Gabriela Sardon, World Health Organization, and Nanmanas Yaembut, Thailand
• Questions & Answers

Mercury wastes management at national, regional and international levels: a multi-stakeholder engagement, facilitated by Benoit Varenne, WHO 

• Best technologies and practices for Hg waste management in health facilities: Case of Honduras, Charlotte de Bruyne, United Nations Development Programme
• Capacities building in the management of Hg wastes: case of the Philippines, Jashaf Shamir Lorenzo, BanToxics
• Successful multi-stakeholder collaboration for the sound transport, treatment and final disposal of mercury in dental wastes, Carola Auer, Metasys   
• Polls - Questions & Answers

Closing remarks - Grace Halla, GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit, UNEP