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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Cannot test for or treat mercury poisoning. Additionally, healthissues related to mercury are currently not part of the curriculum for medicalworkers, though the government said it is committed to introducing thistraining.[245]Only one group of medical officials among the five health facilities visited byHuman Rights Watch in Kahama, Chunya, and Geita districts received someinformation on mercury as part of a broader training conducted by a large-scalemining company.[246] Few of the medical staff knew how toidentify and treat symptoms of mercury poisoning. When Human Rights Watch asked medical officials at a dispensaryin Matundasi Ward, a mining area in Chunya district, whether they were familiarwith any of the symptoms of mercury poisoning they explained, “Actuallywe know mercury, but [we] don’t know the symptoms.”[247]Similarly, a clinical officer at a dispensary in NyarugusuWard in Geita district stated she was not an expert and knew little about mercurypoisoning.[248]Medical officials from Chunya District Hospital expressed concern thatthey might be failing to diagnose people suffering from mercury poisoning becauseof their lack of knowledge about mercury.[249]In a promising development, the government, in partnership with theWorld Health Organization, is in the process of establishing a national andregional poison center which may help to address severe cases of mercuryexposure.[250] Failure to Take Action on the Illegal Mercury Trade The government has failed to curb the illegal trade ofmercury. The Industrial Chemical and Consumer Chemicals (Management andControl) Act requires those intending to import, export, transport, store, anddeal in chemicals to register specified quantities of mercury with the ChiefGovernment Chemist.[251]However, most of the mercury used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining ispurchased and traded illegally, without registration. Human Rights Watchinterviewed officials at the GCLA who said it was rare to receive a requestwith mercury.[252] A study conducted by a Tanzanian NGO foundthat most of the mercury used in small-scale mining is purchased illegally.[253]The
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