Minamata Convention: 28 African countries ratifies Convention
Twenty-eight African countries out of the 54 countries that make up the continent have signed and ratified the Minamata Convention on mercury while 18 others have signed but yet to ratify and 8 others are yet to sign or ratify the global treaty that seeks to address mercury pollution from human health and the environment.
As at Monday July 8, 2019, findings by Ecogreen News online from the Convention web site indicated that the 28 countries that have ratified the Convention are Benin, Bostwana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, and Niger.
Others are Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sychelles and Estwatini.
The other 18 countries that have signed but yet to ratify the Convention are: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa Rep, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Morroco, Sudan , Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo Republic of, Liberia, Libya, Comoros, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
Similarly, the remaining eight countries that are yet to sign and ratify the Convention are: Algeria, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Congo-Democratic Rep.
Incidentally, David Kapindula from Zambia is the President of Minamata Convention on mercury.
President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, Charlie Brown, said every African nation has a stake in keeping the West from continuing to send toxic product into their nation and their environment.
He said; “If more African nations ratify and become Parties to the Minamata Convention, the continent can lead the world forward at COP3 this November. Bureau Member Serge Molly of Gabon proposes to put dental amalgam on a par with the other products by adopting a phase out date. Every African nation has a stake in keeping the West from continuing to send this toxic product into their nation and their environment. Presiding at COP3 will be David Kapindula of Zambia, president of the Minamata Convention.
“Wherever I go throughout the continent, interest in mercury-free dentistry for African children and mercury-free dentistry for African young women is sky-high – from Nigeria in the west, to Tunisia in the north, to Uganda in the east, to Zambia in the south, to Cameroun in the central.”
Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Development Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame, said it is important for African countries to phase out dental amalgam because there is no technology to handle waste in the continent.
He explained that the overall cost of managing mercury in the environment is huge and that the continent lacks the facility to manage dental amalgam waste.
He urged countries that are yet to ratify the Convention to do so before the next Conference of the Parties to the Convention coming up in November.
