Paris - More than 400,000 women in more than 65 countries have received breast implants that are at the centre of a global health scare.
France's health ministry on December 23 advised 30,000 women with implants made by now-bankrupt French firm Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) to have them removed.
The company was found to have been using industrial-grade silicone gel that caused abnormally high rupture rates, although the authorities said there was no proven cancer risk.
On January 17, the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged women with the devices to seek medical advice if they have any concerns.
And on Thursday, French police arrested Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of PIP, as part of a manslaughter probe.
Here is a summary of global reaction to the health scare:
- THE EUROPEAN UNION: On January 5, the European Commission proposed a joint evaluation system involving sending questionnaires to women across the 27-nation bloc who have had the implants to help health authorities evaluate the risks.
- BELGIUM, BRITAIN, POLAND and SPAIN have recommended to women to have them removed if they suspect any ruptures.
In December, a lawyer in Britain said more than 250 women would take court action after more than half experienced ruptures of the implants.
- THE CZECH REPUBLIC, THE NETHERLANDS and GERMANY have recommended that women who received the implants should have them removed.
- FINLAND, ITALY, PORTUGAL and SWITZERLAND have advised monitoring.
- THE UNITED STATES: In May 2000 the US Food and Drug Administration warned PIP of “serious” quality control violations involving saline implants after an inspection of its French factory. Several dozen complaints were lodged over the implants between 1996 and 2009.
- MEXICO, CHILE have recommended medical monitoring
- BOLIVIA, VENEZUELA and COSTA RICA say the defective implants can be removed for free.
Some 500 Venezuelans have lodged civil suits against the local distributors of PIP implants.
- ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, COLOMBIA and ECUADOR have banned the implants.
In Argentina, some 500 women say they intend to sue in France, and are calling for a European compensation fund financed by the pharmaceutical sector.
- AUSTRALIA banned the implants in April 2010
- CHINA: Medical monitoring recommended. - Sapa-AFP