Four national projects in the Latin American region, in Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, to improve capacities for environmentally sound management (ESM) of mercury wastes under the Basel Convention.
Specific objectives
Panama
1. Conduct a survey in health care facilities under the authority of the Ministry of Health on the environmentally sound management of mercury waste.
2. Train staff of regional and national hospitals, which will be given priority, in the environmentally sound management of mercury waste.
3. Develop technical standards, norms related to the environmentally sound management of mercury waste in health centers.
Peru:
Identify an end-of-life management system for mercury-containing lamps in the districts of Los Olivos, Breña, San Juan de Miraflores and Ate.
Paraguay
1. To develop an inventory of medical devices and products containing mercury in five health centers in Paraguay;
2. Create a database on mercury supply and mercury waste generation in the five health centers;
3. Provide training on mercury waste management in selected health centers.
4. Develop a plan for the substitution of mercury-containing medical devices and products.
Venezuela:
To perform chemical analyses to quantify the total mercury levels in the urine of a representative sample of the population of personnel working directly in the collection, repair and handling of medical equipment containing mercury in the hospitals of the state of Miranda to quantify the exposure and risk in this.
