Zero Mercury Campaign—Global Village of Beijing (GVB)

Started in 2003, Global Village of Beijing’s Zero Mercury Campaign is dedicated to elevating awareness and participation in mercury pollution issues by Chinese civil society.

In late 2003, with financial aid from the US EPA, GVB produced a mercury educational film for the general public. After completion of this first film and upon recognizing the serious toxic chemical problems in China, GVB decided to develop a more substantial chemical project with a primary emphasis on mercury. Sponsored by European Environmental Bureau (EEB), a European NGO, GVB launched China’s Zero Mercury Campaign. During this period of time, GVB has actively participated in different international activities related to chemical issues and has established cooperation with several important international NGOs and networks, including the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN), Zero Mercury Working Group and Health Care Without Harm. Domestically, GVB has built a national NGO network with more than 50 members and has maintained good cooperative relationships with several authoritative agencies and research institutes; for example, the Chemical Registration Center of MEP, Center for Environmental Education and Communications of MEP, Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, China CDC and Peking University.

Main activities and outcome highlights Promoting information exchange GVB has been making an effort to promote communication among different stakeholders on mercury pollution. As early as in 2004 when few people paid attention to mercury pollution in China, GVB has held expert seminar on mercury pollution. GVB operates a website on mercury and has distributed news about mercury to stakeholders regularly by bi-weekly newsletter for more than four years. The recipients of the e-newsletter include officials, academics, journalists, NGOs and others.

In addition, GVB also manages a journalist network with more than 300 journalist members covering most of China’s major media. With frequent communication with journalists, GVB has promoted Chinese journalists’ reports on mercury related topics such as INC of mercury treaty, mercury-containing medical device

The bi-weekly newsletter and disposal of mercury-containing lights. The following links provide a few examples:

http://www.greentv.com.cn/news/news_detail.aspx?ID=49762 http://news.qq.com/a/20100613/000906.htm http://magazine.caing.com/2010-05-14/100143983.html http://www.stdaily.com/kjrb/content/2010-05/23/content_190195.htm

Awareness raising activities in communities and schools GVB has held awareness raising activities in more than ten cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Wuhan, Guiyang, Guangzhou etc. Some activities were conducted through cooperation with local organizations, and local networks were established in different provinces.

Promoting solution for problem on mercury containing medical devices In 2008, GVB conducted two researches targeted to mercury-containing medical devices: Investigation on Thermometer and Sphygmomanometer in Medicine and Health Care Market in China and Investigation on Quality Control Certifications in Chinese Health Care for Both Mercury and Mercury-free Medical Devices.

Following the researches, in 2009, GVB held a stakeholder workshop for promoting mercury-free healthcare with representatives from World Health Organization, Chinese Ministry of Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Natural Resources Defense Council, China Association of Medical Device Industry, Yuyue Medical Device Co. Ltd which is one of the largest medical measuring Dr. Mukundan Pillay, WHO-China devices manufacturers in China and the two pilot hospitals in Beijing who have conducted mercury-free substitution. The workshop promoted communication among stakeholders and also provided an important foundation for the following works.

On April 12, 2011, Global Village of Beijing, in cooperate with Sino-Union Create, a NGO in Hebei Province held the first joint workshop between healthcare sectors in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province and Beijing Jishuitan Hospital and Tiantan Hospital who have conducted pilot projects on mercury-free medical devices substitution. Representatives from Bureau of Health of Qinhuangdao City, Qinhuangdao Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China National Democratic Construction Association Qinhuangdao Municipal Committee, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao City People's Congress and Qinhuangdao People’s Hospital participated the workshop. The two pilot hospitals shared their achievement and practical experience with the participants. Representative from Qinhuangdao said that Qinhuangdao municipal Party committee and municipal government have always paid great attention to environmental protection and have achieved remarkable result. China National Democratic Construction Association Qinhuangdao Municipal Committee has listed mercury pollution from medical devices as their key research topic and will include this to their future proposal to local government. The workshop has also invited representatives from Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Health and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to give speech on relevant policy as well as harm caused by mercury pollution. After the workshop, Qinhuangdao representatives visited Beijing Jishuitan Hospital in the afternoon.

The workshop between Beijing and Qinhuangdao In Jishuitan Hospital, testing blood pressure Healthcare Sectors with mercury-free device GVB is currently preparing a launching with the biggest children hospital in Changchun city, the capital city of Jilin province in north-eastern China. The hospital plans to substitute their mercury-containing medical devices starting from thermometers. After the first pilot hospital is established in north-eastern China, it will be able to play a leading role to influence and affect other hospitals in the region. We are also expecting to push forward the action into clinic centers in kindergartens and primary schools in Jilin province through the Children Health Center of the hospital.

Research/Investigation and Reports produced  Primary mercury mining field-investigation in Guizhou Province  Investigations in villages along Songhua River where local people have been suffering from mercury poisoning  Investigation into mercury-containing products and mercury-free alternatives  Analysis of Unintentional Mercury Air Emissions  Produced a documentary “Mercury on the Earth”in both Chinese and English and Data Compilation of Mercury. The documentary was broadcasted in China Central TV.