Regional workshop for strengthening collaboration on phasing out dental amalgam in the WHO South-East Asia Region Bangkok, Thailand, 13-14 July 2026

Overview

This report presents the outcomes of the Regional Workshop for Strengthening Collaboration on Phasing Out Dental Amalgam in the WHO South-East Asia Region, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 13-14 July 2026. The workshop brought together representatives from governments, WHO, UNEP, the Minamata Convention Secretariat, academia and professional organizations to review progress, share experiences and strengthen regional collaboration for the phase-out of dental amalgam in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The report highlights Thailand’s experience under the GEF-7 Phasing Down Dental Amalgam Project and documents lessons, challenges and promising practices from countries across the Region. It outlines priority actions to support the transition to mercury-free oral health care, including strengthening policies and regulations, expanding access to affordable alternatives, enhancing workforce capacity, improving monitoring systems and ensuring environmentally sound management of mercury waste. The report also identifies opportunities for regional cooperation to support countries in developing and implementing national action plans and accelerating progress towards the global phase-out target by 2034.