Background: Björn Beeler (IPEN International Coordinator) and Lilian Corra (Int'l. Society of Doctors for the Environment) Middle: Leela Ramachandran (Canadian Environmental Network), Gabrielle Kretzschmar (New Brunswick Partners in Agriculture) and Olga Speranskaya (Eco-Accord) Foreground: Fernando Bejarano, RAPAM

Campaign Elements:

The Campaign will consist of a Common Statement (included in English below, Section 6), which will be used as an outreach tool and as a framework for educating NGOs and CSOs about SAICM, and which will help expand the numbers, spread and types of NGOs globally engaged in chemical safety activities. This Statement will be translated into all 6 UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) for broad distribution and use, and has so far been translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. Please contact the Secretariat (Jenniferfederico@ipen.org) if you'd like a copy. We hope to have them up on the website (along with other information about the Campaign) very soon.

Educational Material
The Committee also agreed to develop complementary campaign educational materials. It was agreed that the audience for these materials are the leaders and constituents of the NGOs and CSOs who will be targeted for outreach activities. It was further agreed that the educational materials will be composed of a series of short pamphlets on different relevant topics, in a common format and common editorial style. These will be produced and disseminated in all six UN languages. Additionally, as possible, corresponding PowerPoint Presentations will be produced. The following is a list of desired topics for the educational materials. The listing represents the priority that will be given to the order of their production:
  1. SAICM Introduction;
  2. Chemicals and Health;
  3. Legislative and Regulatory Reform;
  4. Pesticides;
  5. Toxic Metals;
  6. POPs; and
  7. Chemicals and Wastes.
It was discussed and agreed that the SAICM Outreach Campaign should be implemented in ways that are complementary to and synergistic with the priorities and objectives of the ongoing work of the participating networks. The topics to be addressed by the educational materials above were also considered to be themes that outreach activities might utilize, understanding that a different set of materials may be used by different networks and in approaches to different constituencies.

Next Steps
The IPEN Secretariat will keep the Network informed of how to engage and participate in the Global Outreach Campaign, once materials are prepared and available.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the IPEN Secretariat (ipen@ipen.org).

2-THE SAICM OUTREACH CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES BEGIN IN PANAMA

On Sunday, February 10th, 20 civil society organizations from Panama, Mexico, Peru and Argentina signed the Common Statement on SAICM and committed to participate in the campaign. This was one of the results of the Seminar-Workshop "The Strategic Approach for International Chemicals Management," conducted by IPEN and Pesticide Action Network in Latin America (RAPAL), that included the support of the YMCA coordinator of SAICM NGOs in Panama. In the Seminar, participating speakers included representatives from the Environmental Health Fund, the Center for Analyses and Action on Toxics and Alternatives (CAATA) the Center for Cleaner Production University of Panama, and the Argentine Association of Doctors for the Environment (AAMMA).
For more information please contact: coordinación@caata.org.mx

Inician actividades de la Campaña de Alcance Público del SAICM en Panamá

El domingo 10 de febrero, 20 organizaciones de la sociedad civil de Panamá y de México, Perú y Argentina firmaron la Declaración Común Global sobre SAICM y se comprometieron a participar en la campaña. Esto fue uno de los resultados del Seminario- Taller "El Enfoque Estratégico Internacional de Sustancias Químicas y la Sociedad Civil" convocado por IPEN y la Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas en América Latina (RAPAL) que contó con el apoyo de la YMCA coordinadora de ONGs de SAICM en Panamá. En el Seminario participaron como ponentes el Environmental Health Fund, Centro de Análisis y Acción en Tóxicos y sus Alternativas (CAATA), el Centro de Producción Más Limpia de la Universidad de Panamá y la Asociación Argentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente (AAMMA). Para obtener mayor información comunicarse con coordinación@caata.org.mx

3-REGIONAL FOCUS: LATIN AMERICA

Each IPEN Newsletter includes a Regional Focus section that provides an opportunity for IPEN Participating Organizations (POs) to share their NGO's work, news, updates and/or local information as it pertains to our shared mission for a Toxic Free Future. We encourage all interested IPEN POs to share their work and information with the global IPEN network. In an effort to be inclusive and comprehensive, all articles are welcomed; however, lengthy articles are summarized for the newsletter and then added at the end in their original form.

This month the area of Latin America is the Regional Focus. We encourage IPEN POs from the Middle East to submit articles for next month's IPEN Newsletter (submit to jenniferfederico@ipen.org).

Santiago, 13 de diciembre de 2007

Ministerio de Salud prohíbe el lindano después de una intensa campaña realizada por RAP-Chile

Tras años de esfuerzos y múltiples gestiones desarrolladas por la Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida (RAP-Chile), el Ministerio de Salud (MINSAL) resolvió prohibir la importación, producción, distribución, comercialización y uso del lindano. Esta decisión se refiere específicamente al lindano utilizado para fines sanitarios, domésticos y como principio activo en preparaciones farmacéuticas para el tratamiento de la pediculosis y la sarna en seres humanos y animales. La resolución de prohibición del MINSAL se encuentra en este momento en su trámite jurídico.

Así lo comunicó la ministra de Salud, María Soledad Barría, en una carta dirigida a los representantes de la Alianza, María Elena Rozas (RAP-AL Cono Sur), Alicia Muñoz ANAMURI), Elizabeth Maturana (CIAL) y Lucio Cuenca (OLCA), dando respuesta a las peticiones presentadas por ellos en una reunión efectuada el pasado 7 de noviembre. La carta-respuesta fue enviada el 12 de diciembre.

Las organizaciones citadas venían desarrollando hace más de 10 años una persistente campaña para terminar con el uso del insecticida lindano en la salud pública de nuestro país, debido a sus efectos cancerígenos, a su acumulación en los tejidos grasos y a su prolongada permanencia en el ambiente, como lo confirman numerosos estudios científicos que lo clasifican como contaminante orgánico persistente (COP). En este aspecto, IPEN (Red Internacional por la Eliminación de COPs) y PAN Internacional aportaron importantes fundamentos a la campaña desarrollada en Chile. Con el éxito de esta cruzada se pone fin a una enorme contradicción en la regulación chilena, ya que el lindano seguía vigente en salud pública a pesar de haber sido eliminado para el uso agrícola en 1998. Esto, como resultado de una solicitud pública realizada al Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) por la Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida (RAP-Chile).

El MINSAL decidió hacer extensiva la prohibición al plaguicida organoclorado HCH (hexaclorociclohexano), sustancia química que existe en ocho formas llamadas isómeros, una de las cuales es el gama-HCH (o y-HCH), denominado comúnmente lindano. De esta forma se previene la eventual utilización de otra variante plaguicida como alternativa al lindano.

Finalmente, la ministra de Salud agradeció a los representantes de la Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida (RAP-Chile) "la valiosa colaboración prestada por ustedes en el desarrollo de ésta y otras iniciativas relacionadas con el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de la población y expreso mi mayor disposición a mantener abiertos los canales de comunicación, tanto para recibir vuestras sugerencias, como para ponerlos al tanto de lo que va ocurriendo con las iniciativas antes comentadas".

see the English version at the end of the Newsletter!

Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas de América Latina (RAP-AL)

ALIANZA POR UNA MEJOR CALIDAD DE VIDA (RAP-Chile)


Integrada por: Asociación de Mujeres Rurales e indígenas
(ANAMURI) Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos
Ambientales (OLCA)
Corporación de Investigación en Agricultura Alternativa (CIAL
www.pan-international.org
Avda. Providencia N° 365, depto. 41, Santiago de Chile. Fonofax: 56-2-3416742
Correo electrónico: rapal@rapal.cl ; rap-al@terra.cl www.rap-al.org

15 November, 2007

To : Mr. Henk Bouwman, Chair of the Lindane Working Group (drkhb@puk.ac.za) Mr. Mario Ramirez Yarto, Drafter of Lindane Working Group (myarto@ine.gob.mx)

Copt To : Mr. Reiner Arndt, Chair of POPs Review Committee arndt.reiner@bamu.bund.de Ms. Kei Isobe, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention KIsobe@pops.int

24 September 2007

Dear Dr. Bouwman and Dr. Yarto

It has come to our attention from publicly available draft documents of the POPs Review Committee that some countries are seeking to preserve pharmaceutical uses of lindane. As physicians, we are writing to express our deep concern about the continued reliance on the toxic pesticide lindane for pharmaceutical purposes, and to seek your support for the rapid international phase-out of all uses of lindane.

The persistence, toxicity, and adverse health effects associated with lindane are well-documented in the peer-reviewed literature. The use of lindane has been banned in many countries. The International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. EPA have classified lindane as a possible human carcinogen. Lindane is also a potent neurotoxicant. Acute exposures may be followed by nausea, dizziness, muscular weakness, tremors, and seizures, while liver disease and long-term damage to the nervous system may result from chronic exposures. Occupational exposures are associated with blood disorders, headaches, convulsions, and reproductive hormone disruption.

see the entire letter in English and in Spanish at the end of the Newsletter!!

Notes by Fernando Bejarano, Ctr. for Analysis and Action on Toxics and their Alternatives (CAATA), Pesticide Action Network, Mexico (RAPAM)

The meeting was presided by Fatoumata Feita and Catarina Magulova of the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention PNUMA, Switzerland, as well as by Ana Patricia Martínez of Mexico´s Secretary of the Environment. Other experts present included Mathias Kern of the PNUMA division Global Environment Fund (GEF), headquartered in Nairobi; Canadian Tom Harner who spoke on Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) and Dr. Seosongoo Park from the Department of Food Safety, Zoonosis and Foodborne Diseases of the World Health Organization, who discussed POPs bio-monitoring in breast milk.

Government representatives attended the meeting from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Antigua & Barbuda, and Mexico. Fernando Bejarano of CAATA -RAPAM participated as an observer, and other functionaries of Mexico´s Secretary of Environment assisted as well. In total, an average of nineteen people were at the workshop.

Objectives of the workshop included the exchange of ideas and the establishment of a strategy and work plan. Additionally, participants aimed to create a timetable for the preparation of the regional monitoring report for the first assessment of the Stockholm Convention. The assessment must be presented in the Fourth Conference of the Parties in 2009.

Please contact the IPEN Secretariat (jenniferfederico@ipen.org) for the entire report in English or in Spanish

4-GLOBALLY HARMONIZED SYSTEM BRIE

A brief update on the Globally Harmonized System
by Lars Reutergårdh

Something interesting happens to chemicals!

A new worldwide classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures may well be under way. It is called Globally Harmonized System (GHS), and has been initiated by the United Nations. The basic idea is that chemicals should be labelled the same way (in a "harmonized system") independently of country, and in the language of the country where they are used. One benefit to consumers and workers would be that the hazard of chemicals is communicated through Safety Data Sheets, pictograms, signal words and hazardous statements in a unified, hopefully easy-to-understand way. Another potential benefit may be that chemicals that are harmful to the environment will not end up in nature but be collected and eventually destroyed through proper methods. The GHS system includes substances and preparations and covers biocides and pesticides. It is a hazard-based system with four classes: consumers; transportation; emergency; and workplace. Within the four classes hazard categories are established. The GHS system intends to harmonize existing class legislation in different countries. GHS is constructed of different building blocks, like a brick wall. One worry, since each country has the right to choose its own building blocks, is that the wall to protect us and our environment will have holes through which unwanted chemicals may reach us anyway. It is therefore important to advocate nationally that GHS must be introduced into country classification systems completely- without omissions. To highlight why this is important, we can look at a debate within the EU at the moment.

The current EU classification does not cover all chemicals that would be classified under GHS category five (chemicals of acute oral toxicity) and it is discussing whether or not they should be included. This category contains the least toxic compounds; however, it is of the utmost importance for vulnerable groups such as children, sick people and elderly people, because these groups could be intoxicated by much lower doses than mature and healthy people. The GHS system has five categories versus the EU's four, and its category five would contain chemicals of relatively low acute toxicity but which may present a danger to vulnerable parts of the population. Without category five, thousands of products presently classified in the EU system will be excluded during the new classification regime. The Swedish government estimates that almost one third or more of the currently harmful products will no longer be classified! It thus argues that category five must be introduced for consumer products. To illustrate one example; 2-propanol (used for cleaning windows) is highly toxic for children, but would not be labeled as toxic. The chemical industry, the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry and many member states oppose category 5.

It would be interesting to know how many countries have incorporated acute toxicity category 5 or intend to do so (which could be reported to lars@chemsec.org or the facilitator below).

Another issue worth mentioning is that the most ubiquitous known environmental pollutants- the persistent and bioaccumulating substances known to have both chronic toxic and endocrine disruptive properties - do not have their own label. Accordingly it would be nice if the networks can raise these challenges at all levels and as frequently as possible.

Finally, because all aspects of chemicals in society today could be incorporated under SAICM (the Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management), GHS is a part of SAICM. Many SAICM participating Governments have given appropriate formal recognition to SAICM and the 2020 Toxic-Free Future goal by (at a minimum) having designated an official SAICM national focal point. For an updated list of those focal points, see http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/List%20of%20SAICM%20National%20Focal%20Points%20web.doc.

For more information about GHS, please contact Lars at lars@chemsec.org or Rachel at Rachel_kamande@yahoo.com. IPEN currently has an informal GHS Working Group. To be included in this Working Group, please contact Rachel Rachel_kamande@yahoo.com.

5-FUTURE NEWSLETTERS

In future Newsletters, we will continue to have a section that will focus on a regional component within IPEN. The upcoming regions are as follows:

Middle East (March) Southeast Asia (May) Pacific & Island States (July) South Asia (April) Western Europe (June)

The IPEN Secretariat will invite input and contributions from IPEN POs in the featured region each month. This could include specific articles, press releases, action alerts, updates, etc. Moreover it will provide the opportunity for your NGO to share its work with the global IPEN network.

For the next Newsletter, the Middle East will be the featured region for the IPEN Newsletter. Therefore, IPEN POs located in the Middle East are invited to submit a short article (under 500 words), press release, or other news/updates from this region for the newsletter.

Please send your emails to Jennifer at the IPEN Secretariat at: jenniferfederico@ipen.org

Website
Please note that the Newsletter can now be found on the IPEN website: http://www.ipen.org/ipenweb/news.html

6-CALENDAR OF EVENTS

February

20 - 22 February: 10th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council ,Monaco. More information can be found at http://www.unep.org/gc/gcss-x/

25-26 February: International Symposium on the new Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, Marseille, France. Organized by International Social Security Association (ISSA) (Chemistry Section, in cooperation with the Research Section) in collaboration with the Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS), France. Email: Henning Uhlenhaut (registration in English or German); Colette Skornik (registration in French). Internet: chemistry.prevention.issa.int/activities/upcoming.htm.

March

5 - 6 March: Stakeholder Meeting of the Sound Management of Chemicals Working Group, Tucson, Arizona, US. For more detailed information please contact Luke J. Trip (ltrip@cec.org) or Erika Hercules (ehercules@cec.org).

6 - 8 March: Asian Rural Women's Conference, Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, India. The conference will be hosted by the Tamil Nadu Women's Forum, the Tamil Nadu Dalit Women's Forum and the Society of Rural Development. It is the first such conference of its kind aimed at trying to consolidate women's resistance, especially rural women's, against corporate globalisation, fundamentalism, state violence and militarization; and also provide a venue for rural women to speak as one voice. For more details please see: www.asianruralwomen.net

14 March: "Eugene Kenaga International DDT Conference on Environment and Health", Alma College, Michigan, U.S. More info about the conference is here: http://www.alma.edu/academics/ddt

14 - 16 March: The 26th National Pesticide Forum, convened by Beyond Pesticides, Californians for Pesticide Reform and Pesticide Action Network North America at the University of California, Berkeley, United States. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/forum/

26 -28 March: 3rd Euro-Asian Conference on Hazardous Waste & human Health, Istanbul, Turkey. Scientific Sessions: Hazardous Waste in Euro-Asia-Detection and Monitoring of Hazardous Chemicals in the Environment Drinking Water and Water Contamination Infectious Diseases in Children Site Assessment and Remediation. If you are interested in attending and participating in this conference, please send an abstract electronically to the Conference web site www.eaceh.org. Abstracts for posters may be submitted at any time. Abstracts for platform presentations must be received no later than Wednesday, February 20th.

If there is an upcoming event that you would like to have listed here, please let me know! Jenniferfederico@ipen.org

7-FULL ARTICLES

Recognizing that "fundamental changes are needed in the way that societies manage chemicals,"ii Environment Ministers, Health Ministers and other delegates from over 100 governments together with representatives of civil society and the private sector declared in Dubai, February 6, 2006, that "the environment worldwide continues to suffer from air, water and land contamination, impairing the health and welfare of millions."iii They adopted the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a global plan of action whose stated goal is: "to achieve the sound management of chemicals throughout their life-cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment."iv

The SAICM addresses both agricultural and industrial chemicals; covers all stages of the chemical life-cycle of manufacture, use and disposal; and includes chemicals in products and in wastes.

We, (Name of organization)
a civil society organization, join in this global effort to work for a future where exposure to toxic chemicals is no longer a source of harm.

We agree with the SAICM :

We commit ourselves and call upon all stakeholders including governments, non governmental organizations, the private sector, intergovernmental organizations and others to work together to implement SAICM policies, and to reform domestic chemicals assessment and management laws, policies and practices to achieve the 2020 goal in all countries.

The NGO/CSO Global Common Statement on SAICM was developed by representatives of six NGO networks at a Planning Meeting held in Toronto, Canada, January 23-25, 2008 to launch a Global SAICM Outreach Campaign. These networks were: Health Care Without Harm (HCWH); the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN); International Society of Doctors for the Environment, (ISDE); Pesticides Action Network International (PAN); Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF); and the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA). It was agreed at the meeting that this statement would be presented for consideration and adoption to NGOs and CSOs in all regions of the world as part of a global campaign to secure more than one thousand NGO endorsements of this statement in at least 80 countries covering all regions of the world.

1 The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) comprises three core texts: The Dubai Declaration, which expresses the commitment to SAICM by Ministers, heads of delegation and representatives of civil society and the private sector; The Overarching Policy Strategy, which sets out the scope of SAICM, the needs it addresses and objectives; and A Global Plan of Action, which sets out proposed work areas and activities for implementation of the Strategic Approach. These texts can be found in all UN languages at:

http://www.chem.unep.ch/saicm/SAICM%20texts/SAICM%20documents.htm
'SAICM Dubai Declaration paragraph 7 ' SAICM Dubai Declaration paragraph 5 ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 13 ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 7 (c)' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 14 (e) ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 14 (f) ' SAICM Dubai Declaration paragraph 6 ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 14 (j)' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 10 (b) ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 191 SAICM Global Plan of Action, Executive Summary, paragraph 8 (i) '1 SAICM Dubai Declaration paragraph 1 ' SAICM Overarching Policy Strategy paragraph 16 (g)' SAICM Dubai Declaration paragraph 21

Chilean Health Secretary will ban lindane as a result of RAP -Chile's strong campaign

Years of public pressure, diffusion efforts and advocacy done by Alliance for a Better Quality of Life RAP-Chile (Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida RAP-Chile), resulted in banning of lindane import, production, retail and use. This official announcement targets lindane's use in public health as active principle in lice and scabies treatments for human beings and animals.

Chilean Health Secretary María Soledad Barría (MD) addressed a letter to Alliance's leaders, María Elena Rozas, Pesticide Net Action Network Southern Cone, Alicia Muñoz, Association of Rural and Indigenous Women (ANAMURI), Elizabeth Maturana, Research on Organic Agriculture (CIAL NGO) and Lucio Cuenca, Latin American Environmental Conflicts Watch (OLCA).

These grassroots organizations had been campaigning on a ban on the pesticide lindane for the last ten years and more. Carcinogenic effects of lindane, its bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment and in human fat tissues have been proved in many scientific researches that classed lindane as POP. This scientific data was used as background for this campaign.

International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) provided important foundations for our campaign in Chile. This successful crusade closes a huge contradiction in legal regulations, because lindane was still registered for public health in spite of its banning for agriculture uses in 1998. That year, public pressure of Alliance for a Better Quality of Life (RAP-Chile) resulted in banning on lindane by public agency Agriculture and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero SAG).

Health Secretary decided currently to extend lindane banning to organ chloride compound HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) a synthetic chemical that exists in eight chemical forms called isomers, one of them named lindane: gamma-HCH (or y-HCH). This extension points to avoid and prevent use of other HCH isomer as an alternative to lindane.

1a y 1b WHO class pesticides

In her December 12th letter, Health Secretary Barría also answers other requests and concerns expressed by these organizations. Barría appreciates and supports the recent legal motion to ban import, transport and retail of WHO class extremely hazardous (1a) and very hazardous (1b) pesticides. The bill has just been sent to Chilean Senate in second Constitutional procedure. Mrs. Barría explains that her office has no regulatory competence about pesticide registration for agriculture uses. She states: "We have started a process of exchange of points of view with Agriculture Secretary in order to join efforts and make advance the process of phasing out the use of extremely hazardous and very hazardous toxic substances, especially those classed as 1a and 1b by World Health Organization.

Secretary Barría's letter also accepts our proposal to watch pesticides' residues in food for Chilean market and announces a Pesticide Residues Control Program aimed to strengthen the Innocuity of Food Program. This new initiative will focus on national and imported primary farming products and aims to "guarantee enforcement of Pesticide Residues Maximum Limits "and to avoid "adverse effects on public health". Health Public Institute (Instituto de Salud Pública ISP) and Maule region's Public Laboratory (in Central Chile) will take over watch on pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables for human consume.

Health Secretary also informs us about a list of actions aimed to improve Chilean population's health protection, and overcome current fails in pesticide poisoning notification registry. These actions are: building capacities in public and private health workers so that they can timely identify pesticide poisoning; creation of Regional and Local Pesticide Public Committees whose mission is to strengthen inter agencies action; supervise labor places whenever massive poisoning occurs and watch public health system centers' enforcement of mandatory notification of pesticide acute poisoning.

Health Secretary Soledad Barría closes her letter thanking Alliance for a Better Quality of Life's representatives for "the valuable collaboration you have had by pushing this and other motions related to improve our population's quality of life, and I declare my best will to keep our communication channels in order to get your suggestions and also tell you about the follow up of the informed initiatives".

Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas de América Latina (RAP-AL)

ALIANZA POR UNA MEJOR CALIDAD DE VIDA (RAP-Chile)


Integrada por: Asociación de Mujeres Rurales e indígenas
(ANAMURI) Observatorio Latinoamericano de Conflictos
Ambientales (OLCA)
Corporación de Investigación en Agricultura Alternativa (CIAL
www.pan-international.org
Avda. Providencia N° 365, depto. 41, Santiago de Chile. Fonofax: 56-2-3416742
Correo electrónico: rapal@rapal.cl ; rap-al@terra.cl www.rap-al.org

15 November, 2007

To : Mr. Henk Bouwman, Chair of the Lindane Working Group (drkhb@puk.ac.za) Mr. Mario Ramirez Yarto, Drafter of Lindane Working Group (myarto@ine.gob.mx)

Copt To : Mr. Reiner Arndt, Chair of POPs Review Committee arndt.reiner@bamu.bund.de Ms. Kei Isobe, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention KIsobe@pops.int

24 September 2007

Dear Dr. Bouwman and Dr. Yarto

It has come to our attention from publicly available draft documents of the POPs Review Committee that some countries are seeking to preserve pharmaceutical uses of lindane. As physicians, we are writing to express our deep concern about the continued reliance on the toxic pesticide lindane for pharmaceutical purposes, and to seek your support for the rapid international phase-out of all uses of lindane.

The persistence, toxicity, and adverse health effects associated with lindane are well-documented in the peer-reviewed literature. The use of lindane has been banned in many countries. The International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. EPA have classified lindane as a possible human carcinogen. Lindane is also a potent neurotoxicant. Acute exposures may be followed by nausea, dizziness, muscular weakness, tremors, and seizures, while liver disease and long-term damage to the nervous system may result from chronic exposures. Occupational exposures are associated with blood disorders, headaches, convulsions, and reproductive hormone disruption.

The American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report recommends against the use of lindane because of its low efficacy, toxicity to the central nervous system and documentation of cases of severe seizures in children. 1 The Cochrane Data Base of Systematic Reviews concluded that lindane did not meet requirements as a safe and efficacious agent and recommended other preferred alternatives.2 A 2005 article in the journal Lancet recommends against the pharmaceutical use of lindane because it is neurotoxic.3 In a 2006 article in the journal Lancet, authors cited neurotoxicity and lack of efficacy of lindane as reasons to endorse alternative treatments for scabies.

Recent articles in the peer-reviewed literature have reported the safe, efficacious use of alternatives to lindane for treatment of head lice, including wet combing5, Cetaphil cleanser, dimethicone lotion6, and hot air treatments7. The efficacy of these alternatives matched or exceeded that of lindane without the development of resistance or toxic effects for the patient. The Cochrane review found permethrin to be the preferred pediculicidal treatment for both lice and scabies treatment.8 A 2006 article in the Lancet reported a variety of safe, effective alternatives to the use of lindane for treatment of scabies, including sulphur in petrolatum, permethrin, oral ivermectin in combination with topical permethrin and kerotlytic therapy, as well as certain medicinal oils. 9 In the journal, American Academy of Family Physicians, researchers cited data from several clinical trials and concluded that oral ivermectin is as effective as topical lindane for the treatment of human scabies.10

Continued use of lindane is also problematic from a broader public health perspective. Lindane-containing products contaminate drinking water sources and directly expose young children and other vulnerable populations to this pesticide that can harm their nervous system and brain function. Moreover, because lindane is highly persistent and travels globally via air and water, existing stockpiles and its continued use pose an exposure risk to people far from the source. Lindane is now one of the most abundant pesticides in Arctic air and water, and northern Indigenous Peoples are exposed through their traditional diets. Lindane residues have also been reported in a variety of common foods.

Given the widespread exposure and potential public health risk posed by lindane, along with the availability of safer, affordable alternatives for the treatment of head lice and scabies, we do not believe that the scientific or clinical data justify an exemption for pharmaceutical uses of lindane. We call on you to work toward the rapid elimination of all uses of lindane.

Sincerely,

Lilian Corra ISDE Past President and International Coordinator

1 Frankowski, B.L. et.al. 2002. American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report on Head Lice. Pediatrics 110 (3):638-643.
2 Workshop on Alternatives to Lindane Use, sponsored by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation Lindane Task Force in Mexico City (October 4-6, 2005).
3 Roberts, R.J. and I.F. Burgess. 2005. New head lice treatments: hope or hype? The Lancet 365:8-9.
4 Heukelbach, J. and Feldmeier. 2006. Scabies. The Lancet 367:1767-1774.
5 Workshop on Alternatives to Lindane Use, sponsored by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation Lindane Task Force in Mexico City (October 4-6, 2005).
6 Pearlman, D. 2005. Cetaphil cleanser cures head lice. Pediatrics 116(6):1612-1613. 7 Goates, B.M. 2006. An effective non-chemical treatment for head lice. Pediatrics 118(5):1962-70. 8 Workshop on Alternatives to Lindane Use, sponsored by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation Lindane Task Force in Mexico City (October 4-6, 2005).9 Heukelbach, J. and Feldmeier. 2006. Scabies. The Lancet 367:1767-1774. 10 Apgar, B. 2000. American Family Physician 61(2): January 15, 2000.

I S D E
International Society of Doctors for the Environment Linking Human Health and the Environment

15 de Noviembre, 2007

Para: Mr. Henk Bouwman, Chair of the Lindane Working Group (drkhb@puk.ac.za) Mr. Mario Ramirez Yarto, Drafter of Lindane Working Group (myarto@ine.gob.mx)

Copia: Mr. Reiner Arndt, Chair of POPs Review Committee (arndt.reiner@bamu.bund.de) Ms. Kei Isobe, Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention (KIsobe@pops.int)

POPs Review Committee 11-13 chemin des Anémones CH-1219, Châtelaine, Geneva, Switzerland Email: ssc@pops.int El 24 de Septiembre, 2007

Estimados Dr. Bouwman and Dr. Yarto,

Ha llamado nuestra atención de los documentos borradores públicos del Comité Revisor de los COPs el que algunos países estén tratando de conservar el uso farmacéutico de lindano. Como médicos, les escribimos para expresar nuestra preocupación profunda sobre el uso continuo para propósitos farmacéuticos del plaguicida tóxico lindano; y buscamos su apoyo para la rápida eliminación internacional de todos los usos de lindano.

La persistencia, toxicidad y los efectos adversos a la salud asociados con lindano están bien documentados en la literatura revisadas por expertos. El uso del lindano ha sido prohibido en muchos países. La Agencia Internacional de Investigaciones sobre Cáncer (IARC) y la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los EEUU (U.S. EPA) han clasificado al lindano como posible carcinógeno humano. Lindano es un potente neuro-tóxico también. Después de la exposición aguda, puede seguir náusea, mareos, debilidad muscular, temblores, y convulsiones, mientras que las enfermedades del hígado y daños a largo plazo al sistema nervioso pueden resultar de exposiciones crónicas. Exposiciones ocupacionales están asociadas con enfermedades de la sangre, dolor de cabeza, convulsiones y disrupción hormonal reproductiva.

El informe clínico de la Academia Americana de Pediatría recomienda contra el uso de lindano debido a su baja eficacia, toxicidad al sistema nervioso central y la documentación sobre casos severos de convulsiones en niños.1 La Base de Datos de Revistas Sistemáticas de Cochrane concluyó que lindano no cumple con lo requerido para ser un agente seguro y eficaz y recomendó preferir otras alternativas.2 Los autores de un artículo de 2005 de la revista Lancet recomendaron contra el uso farmacéutico de lindano debido a su neuro-toxicidad.3 Autores de un artículo de 2006 de Lancet citaron la neuro-toxicidad y la falta de eficacia de lindano como las razones para respaldar tratamientos alternativos para la sarna.

Artículos recientes de revistas revisadas por expertos han reportado alternativas seguras y eficaces al uso del lindano para tratar los piojos. Estas alternativas incluyen el peinar el cabello húmedo,5 el limpiador Cetaphil, la loción dimethicone,6 y los tratamientos con aire caliente.7 La eficacia de estas alternativas iguala o mejora la de lindano sin el desarrollo de resistencia ni los efectos tóxicos al paciente. La revista Cochrane encontró que la permetrina es el tratamiento pediculicida preferido para tratar los piojos y la sarna.8 Un artículo del año 2006 del Lancet reportó una variedad de alternativas seguras y eficaces al uso de lindano para tratar la sarna que incluyen azufre en vaselina, permetrina, vermectina oral en combinación con terapia de permetrina tópica y queratolítica, así como ciertos aceites médicos.9 En la revista American Academy of Family Physicians, investigadores citan datos de varios ensayos clínicos y concluyen que la ivermectina oral es tan eficaz como el lindano tópico para el tratamiento de la sarna en humanos.10

También el uso continuo de lindano es problemático desde una perspectiva más amplia de la salud humana. Productos que contienen lindano contaminan a las fuentes de agua potable y expone directamente a niños jóvenes y a otras poblaciones vulnerables a este plaguicida que daña directamente el sistema nervioso y la función cerebral. Además, las reservas existentes y el uso continuo le ponen una exposición riesgosa a la gente lejos de la fuente porque lindando es muy persistente y viaja mundialmente por el aire y el agua. Lindano es actualmente uno de los plaguicidas más abundantes en el aire y el agua del Ártico y la Gente Indígena norteña está expuesta por su dieta tradicional. También se han reportado residuos de lindano en una variedad de alimentos comunes.

Dada la exposición general y el riesgo potencial para la salud humana del lindano, así como la disponibilidad de alternativas seguras y eficaces para el tratamiento de los piojos y la sarna, no creemos que los datos científicos o clínicos justifiquen una excepción al uso farmacéutico de lindano. Les pedimos que trabajen para la eliminación rápida de todos los usos de lindano.

Sinceramente, Lilian Corra ISDE ex - presidente
Coordinadora de la Secretaria para Asuntos Internacionales de ISDE.

Version: 2.0 (February 25, 2008)