MINAMATA - The National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD) in Japan is the only organization in the world that specializes in comprehensive research on mercury. As a WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Health Effects of Mercury Compounds, the centre supports countries in strengthening systems for monitoring health and environmental issues associated with mercury pollution.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury came into effect in August 2017. This treaty aims to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. In June 2017, the WHO Collaborating Centre hosted a workshop to involve the health sector in implementing the Minamata convention. The workshop was attended by around 40 delegates from ministries of health across 18 countries. Together, delegates identified short- and long-term actions to take the Convention forward as well as establishing a network to facilitate information sharing across countries.
The centre has also been active in work across WHO regions and globally, working with the WHO European Region on development of a plan for global monitoring of human exposure to mercury. Staff of the centre also spoke at the Workshop on Implementing the Minamata Convention in the WHO South-East Asia Region and the WHO workshop at the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant in July 2017.
In addition, the centre supports capacity-building. In 2016 and 2017, the centre hosted study programmes for 26 participants from 14 countries on laboratory monitoring of mercury and strengthening capacity for multimedia mercury monitoring.
Working with WHO and countries, the centre will continue strengthening monitoring systems for mercury pollution.
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