Africa Should Not Allow the Ban On Cluster Munitions to Be Undermined
01.01.70
The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of Cluster Munitions. Separate articles in the Convention concern assistance to victims, clearance of contaminated areas and destruction of stockpiles. It became binding international law when it entered into force on 1 August 2010 and has over 65 States Parties. It is believed that the United States, China and Russia, all major producers, as well as Pakistan and India, will all support the use of such weapons until at least 2026 with the proviso that those produced before 1980 and without any self-destruct mechanism in case they fail to explode on impact would not be used or transferred. For devices manufactured since 1980 with one safety mechanism, it would allow their use for a further 12 years after it enters into force. In fact, the draft makes no provision to cease future production of cluster munitions.
African States Parties to the CCM so far include: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, and Zambia. While Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Tanzania are signatories and are expected to ratify in the near future.
Source: AllAfrica.com
Achieving Healthcare Sustainability: Suggestions for Success
01.01.70
"I think that the 'greening' of facilities is something that is taking hold in the healthcare sector," says Anna Gilmore Hall, executive director of Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit membership organization founded on the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the healthcare community. "It is not a passing fad, it’s here to stay, and so it becomes very important for all healthcare professionals to understand the implications this has on hospital operations and medical practice. It's critical to think about the link between healthy people and the environment that is growing ever stronger. There is growing evidence that 70 percent of expenditures are related to taking care of chronic disease, which can be exacerbated by the environment. Exposure to environmental contaminants is a huge burden on the healthcare sector, so whatever we can do to reduce that burden is in the best interest of all of us in the community. One of the things we have been working on with hospitals is ensuring that nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals understand that link."
Source: Infection Control Today