<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">Please forward this and circulate it to health care and other professionals in Vietnam who might be interested, and who may wish to sign. CS</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><br></div><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="Tahoma, sans-serif" color="#990000"><span style="font-size:10px"><b>=========================================</b></span></font></div><font face="Tahoma, sans-serif" color="#990000"><span style="font-size:10px"><b>CHUCK SEARCY</b></span></font><div><b style="font-size:10px;color:rgb(153,0,0);font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">71 Trần Quốc Toản, Hà Nội, Việt Nam</b><br></div><div><b style="font-size:10px;color:rgb(153,0,0);font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">VN +8 490 342 0769</b><br></div><div><b style="color:rgb(153,0,0);font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:10px">Sk chucksearcy</b><font face="Tahoma, sans-serif" color="#990000"><span style="font-size:10px"><b><br></b></span></font></div><div><font face="Tahoma, sans-serif" color="#990000"><span style="font-size:10px"><b>E <a href="mailto:chuckusvn@gmail.com" target="_blank">chuckusvn@gmail.com</a></b></span></font></div><div><b style="color:rgb(153,0,0);font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:10px">=========================================</b><br></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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<div style="direction:ltr"><font face="Tahoma" size="2" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> PHM-Exchange [<a href="mailto:phm-exchange-bounces@phm.phmovement.org" target="_blank">phm-exchange-bounces@phm.phmovement.org</a>] on behalf of Claudio Schuftan [<a href="mailto:cschuftan@phmovement.org" target="_blank">cschuftan@phmovement.org</a>]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, September 13, 2015 11:22 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> phm-exchange<br>
<b>Subject:</b> PHM-Exch> Invitation for individuals to sign on to this petition on the ban of highly hazardous pesticides by health care professionals and toxicologists.<br>
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<div>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Sarojeni</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sarojeni.rengam@panap.net" target="_blank">sarojeni.rengam@panap.net</a>></span><br>
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<div lang="EN-MY">
<div><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Kindly circulate this petition on highly hazardous pesticides for signatures by health care professionals and toxicologists. This is part of our campaign to call for the ban of the highly hazardous pesticides.
It would be great if you could sign on and get others in your network to sign on as well.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">The call is for swift and decisive global action on highly hazardous pesticides. As you know many pesticides are linked to severe health harms for people, including cancer, reproductive harm, asthma, autism
and other developmental delays. This is in addition to the impacts of acute pesticide exposure. We have
</span><span style="font-size:10pt">been working on a global campaign to get swift action taken on these
<a href="http://pan-international.org/wp-content/uploads/PAN_HHP_List.pdf" target="_blank">
highly hazardous pesticides</a> through international policy fora such as the Strategic Approach to Integrated Chemicals Management (SAICM), and globally important actors such as the Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) and WHO. <br>
<br>
Voices and opinions of health professionals and toxicologists holds particular significance for these global actors. I would really appreciate it if you would consider signing the attached letter which PAN International representatives will present at the upcoming
SAICM meeting in Geneva being held at the end of September.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments. If you agree to sign the letter it would be good to get the following information:
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">Your full name</span><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">Your professional title
</span><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">Your affiliation with a professional organization (if you are willing to share this),
</span><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">Your contact info and
</span><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;color:black">Your country of residence.
</span><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Thank you for your help.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">With best wishes<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Saro <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Sarojeni V. Rengam<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">PAN Asia and the Pacific, P.O. Box 1170, 10850 Penang, Malaysia<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<span style="font-size:10pt">E-mail (direct): <a href="mailto:sarojeni.rengam@panap.net" target="_blank">
sarojeni.rengam@panap.net</a> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Home Page: <a href="http://www.panap.net" target="_blank">
www.panap.net</a> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Follow us on Twitter @PANAsiaPacific and our campaign on Twitter #Pesticidesfreeworld<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Like us on facebook: PAN Asia Pacific<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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xxxxx<br>
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:26pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:26pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:18pt;font-family:Arial">We, Toxicologists and Health Professionals,<br>
call for a global elimination of Highly Hazardous Pesticides</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:13pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:13pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:13pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Many pesticides pose a threat to human health and the environment and result in heavy costs to societies. Due to their extensive use over a long period of time, highly
hazardous pesticides (HHPs)<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn1" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref1" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> are now widely dispersed throughout
ecosystems globally. Pesticides are found in human bodies and other living organisms, food and water, soil, and in the air.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Early statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that about 200,000 people were being killed worldwide<a name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__Ref295491754"> and as many as 25 million
agricultural workers in the developing world were suffering from occupational pesticide poisoning, every year</a></span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">.</span></span></span><span></span><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn2" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref2" title=""><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span></span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">
In the decades since that estimate, surveys have indicated that occupational poisoning is increasing.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn3" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref3" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[3]</span></span></span></span></a>
Official studies grossly underestimate these numbers. It is known that many children are poisoned by pesticides but there is no estimate of numbers.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn4" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref4" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>
UNEP’s Global Chemical Outlook report points out that “Acute chemical poisoning data are highly variable and depend on the surveillance infrastructure in place in individual countries or regions”.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn5" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref5" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[5]</span></span></span></span></a>
<span> </span>WHO acknowledges that there are no reliable estimates of pesticide poisonings and that existing estimates likely significantly underestimate the global burden.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn6" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref6" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[6]</span></span></span></span></a>
<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn7" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref7" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[7]</span></span></span></span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">A recent meta-analysis of worldwide literature on pesticide self-poisoning resulted in a conservative estimate of suicides by pesticides accounting for approximately
33% of suicides globally.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn8" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref8" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[8]</span></span></span></span></a> According to this WHO study restricting
access to the means of suicide such as pesticides is a key element of suicide prevention efforts as pesticides are among the most common methods of suicide globally.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Further, Maximum Residue Limits, Acceptable Daily Intakes and Maximum Allowable Concentrations support a belief in “safe” levels of exposure that do not exist. Because
of their inherent toxicity to humans and/or biological systems, the risks associated with HHPs cannot be managed safely, and thus ‘risk management’ approaches do not effectively prevent their disastrous effects on the health of humans and the environment,
including the widespread disappearance of honeybees.<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn9" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref9" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[9]</span></span></span></span></a>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Current risk assessment is largely based on the idea that “the dose makes the poison.” However, recent advances in science have demonstrated that chronic exposure to
low, so-called “non-toxic” doses and to mixtures means there is unacceptable uncertainty in identifying safe levels to exposure to carcinogens, reproductive toxins, neurodevelopmental toxins and endocrine disruptors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Existing regulatory guidelines are insufficient for hazardous effects such as immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption and postnatal reproductive toxicity effects.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">There is growing evidence that the health of future generations may be severely jeopardized by HHPs. The foetus and the newborn child are sensitive to the harmful effects
of many pesticides and other environmental contaminants, which may irreversibly influence their developmental processes.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt"><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">Our understanding of the many ways in which chemicals can affect humans and the environment is still unfolding. For instance, our understanding of the fact that environmental
chemicals can interfere with hormone action has developed slowly over the past half-century,<a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn10" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref10" title=""><span><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial">[10]</span></span></span></span></a>
but is still insufficiently defined for regulatory systems to take appropriate action on them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family:Arial">For the above reasons, it is ethically important for us, as concerned toxicologists and health professionals, to call for the immediate global elimination of HHPs. Their production,
distribution and use must be stopped to protect our children and the succeeding generations from an impending toxic tragedy.</span></i></p>
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<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref1" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn1" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
For more on the definition and history of HHPs, please refer to the PAN International List of HHPs, available at
<a href="http://pan-international.org/.The" target="_blank">http://pan-international.org/.The</a> FAO/WHO Joing Meeting on Pesticide Management first used the term “HHPs”, and identified criteria for HHPs, which PAN since expanded to include important criteria
missing from the JMPM definition, such as endocrine disrupting properties and inhalation toxicity.</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref2" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn2" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">Jeyaratnam, J. (1990): Acute Pesticide Poisoning: A Major Global Health Problem.
<i>World Health Statistics Quarterly</i> 43, no. 3 (1990): 139–44.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref3" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn3" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[3]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
</span></span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">The figure of 25 million was based on an average of 3 percent of agricultural workers in low-income countries suffering one episode of pesticide poisoning per year. However recent surveys
show that figure may be very much higher now, with, for example, acute occupational pesticide poisoning amongst young male Korean farmers reported to be 24.7%. [Lee WJ, Cha ES, Park J, Ko Y, Kim HJ, Kim J. (2012): Incidence of acute occupational pesticide
poisoning among male farmers in South Korea. </span><i><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">Am J Ind Med</span></i><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"> 55(9):799-807.]</span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>
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<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref4" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn4" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[4]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
Watts M. (2013): Poisoning Our Furure: Children and Pesticides. Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific, Penang.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref5" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn5" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[5]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
Prüss-Ustün et al. (2011): Knowns and unknowns on burden of disease due to chemicals: a systematic review. Environmental Health 2011, 10:9. See also:
</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">United Nations Environment Programme (2015):
<i>Global Chemicals Outlook Towards Sound Management of Chemicals</i><span>, p. 57<i>.</i></span> United Nations Pubns, 2015.</span><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref6" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn6" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Liberation Serif","serif"">[6]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH">
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Times">Thundiyil, J.G., Stober, J., Besbelli, N., Pronczuk, J. (2008). Acute Pesticide Poisoning: A Proposed Classification Tool<i>. Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
</i>Available from <a href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/3/07-041814/en/" target="_blank">
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/3/07-041814/en/</a>.</span><span lang="EN-PH"></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref7" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn7" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Liberation Serif","serif"">[7]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH">
</span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Times">Goldman. L. (2004). <i>Childhood Pesticide Poisoning: Information for Advocacy and Action</i>. United Nations Environment Programme and the World Health Organization. Available from
<a href="http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/pestpoisoning.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/pestpoisoning.pdf</a></span><span lang="EN-PH"></span></p>
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<div>
<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref8" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn8" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[8]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
WHO (2014): Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative. World Health Organization, Geneva.</span></p>
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<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref9" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn9" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[9]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
Some of the target sites of pesticides (proteins and enzymes) have been conserved throughout the evolution of species and can be found in very different organisms, for example humans, fruit flies, yeast and bacteria. Thus it is not surprising that some pesticides
are toxic for non-target species.</span><span lang="DE" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"></span></p>
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<p><a href="#14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftnref10" name="14fcd1767d2b98d7__ftn10" title=""><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"><span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">[10]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">
</span></span><span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial">Endocrine Society</span></span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Arial"> (2015):
<span>Position Statement: Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the European Union.
<a href="http://www.endocrine.org/~/media/endosociety/Files/Advocacy%20and%20Outreach/Position%20Statements/2015/Position_Statement_EDC_EU.pdf" target="_blank">
http://www.endocrine.org/~/media/endosociety/Files/Advocacy%20and%20Outreach/Position%20Statements/2015/Position_Statement_EDC_EU.pdf</a></span></span><span><span lang="EN-PH"></span></span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
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