About us

Swedish Doctors for the Environment (LfM) is a non governmental non political organisation. It was founded in 1991 and is open to medical doctors, medical students and scientists within the medical field. Others can be associated members. LfM now has around 300 members from all medical specialities.

The purpose of LfM is to promote a development of society that leads to good living conditions and health for today's and tomorrow's generations, nationally as well as globally.

LfM wants to quicken the development towards a socially, economically and ecologially sustainable society. We want to support this development through
- bringing forward scientifically founded principles and knowledge about connections between environmental factors and health;
- bringing forward that the human being, being a part of nature, is dependant of healthy eco systems that can provide us with air, water and food of sufficient amount and quality.

We agree with the four system conditions for a sustainable society, developed by The Natural Step Foundation:

System condition 1 
Substances from the bedrock do not increase in nature.

System condition 2 
Substances from society´s production do not increase in nature.

System condition 3 
The resources of nature are not depleted through overuse, displacement or manipulation.

System condition 4 
Economising with resources is so efficient and just that human needs can be satisfied everywhere.

We think globally:
- Climate changes and health
- Chemicals and health
- Mercury
- Energy issues and health   
- Traffic, health and environment
- Food and health
- The Baltic Sea
- Uranium and nuclear power 

We consider the responsibilities of the health care:
- Medicines, health and environment
- Our seminars about medicines and environment
- References medicines and environment
- Life style, health and environment
- Toxic substances in health care
- The responsibilities of the profession
- The climate - what can we do ourselves?

Under "Läs mer" (read more) at the bottom of most pages, you find references in English. 

Associations

In 2007, cooperation between the Swedish Medical Assoication (SMA) and LfM started. SMA has now adopted the questions of climate changes and chemicals, including pharmaceuticals. In July 2008 we had a seminar together at the politicians week in Almedalen, about climate changes and health.
www.slf.se

LfM has, together with Engineers for the Environment (IfM) and Economists for the Environment (EfM) formed the umbrella organisation The Natural Step's Professional Network (DNSy) www.dnsy.se.

LfM is associated to three international organisations:
- ISDE International Society of Doctors for the Environment www.isde.org.
- HCWH Health Care Without Harm www.noharm.org.
- Climate and Health Council www.climateandhealth.org

LfM has some international cooperation:
- INCHES, International Research and Information Network on Children's Health, Environment and Safety www.inchesnetwork.net
- The Bhopal Medical Appeal and Sambhavna Trust www.bhopal.org

Activities

NEWSLETTER
We publish four issues yearly of our Newsletter. Some issues are on a special theme.
No 3-4/2005: Nuclear power for energy.
No 2-3/2006: Reports from the seminar Food for life. 
No 4/2006: "Health care that doesn't harm". From CleanMead Europe.
No 1/2007: The mercury study performed by HCWH.
No 2-3/2007: Climate changes and aspects of green health care. 
No 1-2/2008: The Baltic Sea.
No 1-2/2009: Reports from the seminar on pharmaceuticals and environment.

WEBSITE
Our website www.dnsy.se/lfm is an important tool for communicating knowledge to our members and others. It is continously updated.

SEMINARS
In 2009, together with the Liberal Party, we arranged a seminar on health aspects of effects of the climate changes for the parliament members.

In 2008, together with the Green Party, we arranged two seminars on "Pharmaceuticals, environment and health" for all members of the parliament and representatives for the ministries and other authorities. Earlier, we arranged publilc seminars on this subject in 2004 and 2005.

In 2008, we had a seminar on the Baltic Sea, including the situation for the cod.

"Food for life" was the title of two seminars in 2006 and 2007.

Together with Economists and Engineers for the Environment, we arranged a seminar on Economy, Environment and Health in 2007.

OTHER
In 2008, we have contacted the EU mirror commission for IEC 62368, safety standard for electronic products, to ask them to say no to chapter 7, about flame retardants.

LfM participated in the mercury study on fertile women performed by HCWH in 2006. In April, 2007, we participated in a workshop on mercury free health care in New Delhi, arranged by Toxics Link and St Stephen's Hospital.

In 2005, we called the Ministry of Enterprise and presented a memorandum on the proposed bill on transport policy.

Read material from LfM

Pharmaceuticals and the Environment + Mercury Free Health Care
Presentations at Toxics Links seminar in New Delhi, April 2007

Green Health Care – how to create awareness. Abstract, CleanMed 2006

Food for life Seminar programme, February 2006

Medicines, Health and environment Seminar programme, September 2005

Medicines, Health and Environment - what is the price we pay? Abstract to 14th Nordic Congress of General Practice, Stockholm 2005

Medicines and the Environment. What Do We Know Today? A Brief State of the Art Analysis. LfM, 1997.


About Green Health Care

References medicines and environment. Links to articles in English and Swedish.

Janusinfo is a non-commercial web site providing drug information to support health care professionals in their every day work.

Fass.se is the pharmaceutical companies' prescribing guide for doctors and others. Environmental information is included.

A Healthy Future. Pharmaceuticals in a Sustainable Society. Book 2009.

Phase-out of hazardous chemicals - in accordance with the Stockholms County Council Environmental Policy programme. Report 2007.

Preventing damage to the environment from pharmaceuticals: a primer.
A fact sheet by Health Care Without Harm Europe. February 2008.

Environmental classification of pharmaceuticals in www.fass.se - guidance for pharmaceutical companies 2007.
www.fass.se/environment

Swedish environmental classification of pharmaceuticals. Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LIF)

Sweden's Voluntary Environmental Drug Classification system. RAJ Pharma, March 2007

Swedish pharmacies ban silver band-aids. The article in Miljöaktuellt 3/2006 translated into English. 

Environment and Pharmaceuticals. A book published in cooperation between Apoteket AB, Stockholm County Council and Stockkholm University.

Environmental effects of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and hygiene products. Official report from the Medical Products Agency. Summary, 2004.

Pharmaceutidcals in the environment - current research and regulatory aspects. Documentation from a seminar in 2004, arranged by the Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LIF) and the Swedish Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Health Care Without Harm An international non-governmental organisation. 

Region Västra Götaland is a western Swedish region with wide ranging self-government, responsible for health and medical care and regional development.

Environmental Health News is published daily by Environmental Health Sciences, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 to help increase public understanding of emerging scientific links between environmental exposures and human health.

Chemicals and health

Besides climate changes, chemicals in the environment is the largest threat to humanity's health. Here you find links to articles in English about chemicals and health.