A vibrant new worldwide effort to boycott the utilization of mercury in dentistry is moving its focus from Europe to Africa.
Attorney and President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, Mr. Charlie Brown, who is heading the campaign was cited saying, “When you return to your home countries, please do as the European Union has done: phase out amalgam for children now, for one simple reason: The children of your nation are equally important as the children of Europe.”
In a recent interview Mr. Brown talked about his short term objectives and revealed that it would be to boycott amalgam for kids universally as done in Europe by the European Union.
He additionally spoke glowingly about the advances made in eliminating amalgam in countries all over Africa and Asia.
The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, working with the NGO SEDI of Benin City, Nigeria, recently held a workshop for Edo State in the South-South area.
The workshop finished up with the Edo State Stakeholder Resolution calling for amalgam use to stop in Edo State, Nigeria, on 1 July 2018—particularly for youngsters under 16, for pregnant ladies, and for nursing moms.
The other objectives of the association in Africa will be to update dental school training modules, emphasize on mercury-free dentistry and the implementation of a phase down plan.
A recent meeting of the association in Nigeria condemned mercury as a chemical of global concern due to its long range atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment once anthropogenically introduced and its ability to bio-accumulate in ecosystems.
In the interim, Cameroon has been experiencing a huge change towards mercury-free dentistry all through the country. As, Urban and rural Cameroon have been positively responsive to the idea.
In his opening speech at COP 1, Brown lauded the efforts of African nations and they’re governments in riding mercury usage in dentistry.
He stated, “The Abuja Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry for Africa sets the pace. The government of Mauritius ended amalgam use for children. Dental schools from “Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria across to Tanzania and Kenya have made major curriculum shifts to educate this generation of dentists.”
