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Cyprus – Policy Recommendations On Cell Phones, Wireless Radiation & Health

May 11, 2017 | 0 comments

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Cyprus has removed Wi-Fi from elementary schools, reduced RF in pediatric wards of Archbishop Makarios Hospital and launched multiple pubic awareness campaigns and support a strong educational initiative to educate children and families about cell phones and wireless radiation. They have developed comprehensive brochures for public health and video public service announcements regarding the issue. They also have clear guidance on how to hardwire computers.

minimize wireless radiation exposure to childrenPlease take the time to read through these initiatives and watch some video’s of Dr. Stella Michaelidou , President of the Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health lecture on their Health Initiatives. Comprehensive educational brochures are uploaded at the end of this page in English and Greek. If you choose to translate these brochures please share this with the Cyprus committee and Environmental Health Trust so we can distribute them.

2019 News: Petition against 5G in Cyprus 

2020 Cyprus National Committee on the Environment and Child Health issues guide to reduce Wi-Fi exposure to children during COVID. The guide explains how to hardwire internet for computers. Read it here. 

2019  “Don’t Irradiate Me” Cyprus Children’s Health Campaign to Reduce Direct and Passive Wireless Radiation Exposure to Children.  The new safety campaign involves posters, leaflets and large scale signs on buses. 

Campaign Materials

2019: Initiative to Reduce EMF in Archbishop Makarios III  Hospital 

The Archbishop Makarios III Hospital hospital has launched a project to minimize cell phone and wireless radiation exposures.

  • Wi-Fi is disabled and replaced with ethernet connections in the Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal unit.
  • Parents are educated to keep cell phones away from children and out of the pediatric units.

The Campaign is a cooperation between the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital (NAM III) and the Cyprus Committee on the Environment and Children’s Health (CyCECH) with the active support of the Executive Director of the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital, Dr. A. Neophytou, the Director of the Pediatrics Department, Dr. A. Elia. It is a collaboration of Dr. Andreas Sergis and Dr Antonis Kleanthous and the nursing staff of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). 

Read more Press Conference: 24th of June 2019, 11:30 am, at the Ministry of Health

2017 Directive of the Minister of Culture and Education to Ban Wi-Fi from kindergartens, Remove Wi-Fi from Elementary Classrooms and Halt Deployment.

  • Original Translated Directive from the Cyprus Minister of Culture and Education
  • Wireless is recommended only to be used if needed in the administrative areas of elementary schools, not by the students.  However, if the use of Wi-Fi is required, “ necessary measures to protect children should be taken, and  wireless access points should remain inactive when not in use for teaching purposes.” Furthermore before installation of any wireless program involving teachers or students “the consent of parents should be ensured in advance” the directive reads stating that the director of the school should send a letter to the parents of children who will participate in programs involving wireless technology  informing them for the reason and duration of  WiFi usage.
  • Read Press release on Cyprus Wi-Fi removal from elementary classrooms

 

2019 Pancyprian Medical Association and Cyprus National Committee on the Environment and Child Health.

2019 Position Paper on 5G of the Pancyprian Medical Association and Cyprus National Committee on the Environment and Child Health.

  • The Pancyprian Medical Association and Cyprus National Committee on the Environment and Child Health  position paper on 5G is entitled “The Risks to Public Health from the Use of the 5G Network” and was sent to the Cyprus Parliamentary Committees on Environment and Health. The position paper is based on the historic Nicosia Declaration of  2017.
  • The position paper emphasizes the lack of safety studies, the increase in exposure and the potential  interactions of the network with other telecommunication networks. The paper also highlights the lack of a reliable method to measure the radiation levels in real world situations- an issue that was raised in the 2019 European Parliament Report “5G Deployment State of Play in Europe, USA and Asia”which states that, “ the problem is that currently it is not possible to accurately simulate or measure 5G emissions in the real world.” 
  • Read  Press Release on the 5G Position Paper

Nicosia Declaration  on EMF/RF 2017

Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health

  • “Protecting children from radiation emitted by Wi-Fi, mobile phones and wireless” Webpage
  • EMF brochure on reducing the risks to children from exposure to the Non Ionizing Radiation (mobile phones, Wi-Fi, tablets, etc.).
  • The Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health is supported by the Nation of Cyprus and “has as its basic aim the prevention of illnesses, which also are related with the exposure of children in environmental dangers.” The activities of the National Committee are supported by the State of Cyprus.
  • The National Committee recommends, “Be Precautionary and reduce exposure to phones, Wi-Fi and other wireless devices,” states the  Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Child Health (ECH). Dr. Stella Michaelidou, President of the ECH, states that society should respond by taking precautions because “Documentation of other potential and more serious biological side effects are on the tip of an emerging iceberg.”
  • An In-Cyprus news article quoted Michaelidou as saying that “multiple and frequent exposure to this kind of radiation, which falls below the acceptable levels of thermal effects, pose a health risk to a developing embryo.” Children who use their mobile phone more frequently face a higher risk at having a weaker memory, attention deficit disorder, and similar issues.
  • In-Cyprus News Article – “Mobile devices could harm kids”

Printable Educational Resources

Scientific Presentations:

Stella Canna-Michaelidou, PhD, President of the National Committee on Environment and Children’s Health of Cyprus, Multi-Media Public Health Tools  to Promote Public and Health Professional Understanding of Wireless Radiation PDF of January 2017 IIAS Presentation

The 2017 Nicosia Declaration on Electromagnetic and Radiofrequency Radiation was signed at the November 11, 2017 seminar “The impact of non-ionizing radiation on health: A myth or an emerging medical challenge?” organized in cooperation with the Austrian Medical Chamber, the Medical Chamber of Vienna, the Cyprus Medical Association and the Cyprus National Committee on Environment and Children’s Health.

The new position paper states the problem is that existing regulatory limits for wireless device emissions inadequately address biological effects and long-term effects from exposure to cell phones and wireless devices.

News Reports from Cyprus

April 2016 – Dr. Michaelidou, President of the Cyprus National Committee, gives presentation: “Environment and Health of the Child”, presenting on the issue of Electromagnetic radiation and its effects on children’s health.

Sigma TV News Report – “Children and Wi-fi”  

President of the National Committee “Environment and Child Health” with Professor Loukas Margaritis speaking in a news piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WumF2qOUKrU

2015 In-Cyprus News Report: Mobile devices could harm kids

9/2015 News Report Cyprus Mail: ‘Technology harming our children’ MPs say

 

 

[pdf-embedder url=”https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Cyprus-Leaflet-EMF-and-Health-2017.pdf” title=”Cyprus Leaflet EMF and Health 2017 English”]

 

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