Over 120 environmental health practitioners from 10 provinces of Zambia who attended the Zambia Institute of Environmental Health (ZIEH) conference in Lusaka from December 13 to 15, 2023, voted to phase out dental amalgam and make dental amalgam history in the country.
This decision, they said, was reached to protect the health of vulnerable people at risk, in particular children, pregnant women, the unborn child, and dentists, towards contributing to achieving a healthier planet.
During the conference, the environmental health practitioners heard that dental amalgam is a toxic product with 50 percent mercury whose use is not allowed for children and for which some 40 nations have phased out amalgam entirely.
Zambia is witnessing national support from the Zambia Dental Association (ZDA) who stopped the use of dental amalgam in all government and private facilities for close to 22 years now, even as the syllabus in dental schools is also reviewed to exclude dental amalgam.
The Children’s Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF) has held advocacy meetings to phase out dental amalgam in Choma, Livingstone and Lusaka, according to the CEHF Executive Director and National Lead Elimination Advisor, Michael Musenga.
According to him, Senior Medical Superintendents, Senior Dental Surgeons and Dentists from University Teaching and Central Hospitals have pledged to ensure phasing out dental amalgam completely.
“The support given by the Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu, on April 28, 2023, in Lusaka during the official opening of SADC and EAC NGO leaders including the President of World Alliance, Charlie Brown, from USA who attended a round table meeting organised by Children’s Environmental Health Foundation in Zambia is great. The support given by Mike Mposha, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, and His Royal Highness Chief Macha during the celebration of the Sustainable Open Defecation Free for Macha Chiefdom and 2023 World Toilet Day commemoration at Macha College of Nursing grounds is so great for Zambia. We need government now to officially ban dental amalgam as submitted by the African Group by establishing statutory instrument to ban importation and use of dental amalgam in Zambia since the alternatives are available.
“Recently, we had one to one awareness raising with the traditional leaders and all supported the phase out of dental amalgam as it may pollute water quality and environment in their chiefdoms in order to protect the health of the vulnerable population in the community. The Mayor of Livingstone City, Constance Nalishebo Muleabai, has pledged to support this community effort to phase out dental amalgam and will be joining our team in awareness raising to the community and institutions of Livingstone and will need frequent updates from District health Medical Office. These good words came from the Mayor of Livingstone when CEHF team in the company of Senior Dental Surgeon, Dr Robson Mwewa, from Livingstone University Teaching Hospital, paid a courtesy call on Mayor Constance Nalishebo Muleabai at the Livingstone City Council.”
The Africa Region in deep collaboration with colleagues around the world is proud to have made momentous progress to make mercury history, said Mr David Kapindula from Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and COP-3 President and Africa Regional Expert.
The conference resolved to support the government in phasing out dental amalgam completely and make mercury in dentistry a history in Zambia as per the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The conference also supported to end childhood lead poisoning to protect health and environment as per World Health Organisation (WHO) requirements.
It further supported ban on High Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and the reduction of plastic pollution, as plastics may be toxic and contain mercury and lead and may pollute underground water.
The ZIEH admitted Mr Michael Musenga as Life Fellow and Life Membership of Zambia Institute of Environmental Health. Musenga thanked the ZIEH President, Dr Tuitus Haakonde, and the past President, Mr Kennedy Chishimba, and members of the institute.
