This presentation is intended for non-technical people to understand basics of EMF & Health related issues.

1. UNDERSTAND
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
(EMF) & HEALTH
A Presentation for Non-Technical People
Adnan Dahir,Telesom Company – Hargeisa, Somaliland (April 2017)

2. Outline • Overview
• Concept Evidences
• Compliances
• Communication

3. Overview • We will present here a simple language
information intended for nontechnical people
to understand the meaning of
electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and health-
related issues and how they can communicate
this to others.
• We have applied a Question & Answer
methodology to provide short answers to 6
key questions on EMF, its safety,
communication, compliances for mobile
operators and information sources for
furthering the understanding of the EMF.

4. What is
EMF?
• Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) are electric and magnetic
fields moving together through space.
• EMF can be emitted by natural sources or manmade
sources.
• Natural sources include: Sun
• Manmade sources include: Radio Signals
• Radio Signals come from sources such as: Mobile
phone base stations, towers and electronic equipment.
• We will present here the impact of Radio Signals from
Mobile phone base stations and mobile handsets on
body.

5. What is EMF?

6. How safe is
Radio
Signals?
• According toWorld Health Organization (WHO) and
other Independent Expert Groups. Radio Signals have
no adverse health effect on human body, brain and
other functions.
• “A large number of studies have been performed over
the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones
pose a potential health risk.To date, no adverse health
effects have been established as being caused by
mobile phone use.” (WHO, 2011)
• Therefore, according to the biggest UN Organization
for Health (WHO), so far the researches done for more
than a 2 decades has not provided any adverse effects
on health.
• The only impact so far notes is related to skin
temperature.

7. How Can I
communicat
e to people
that Radio
Signals are
safe?
• Understand that communicating Radio Signals means
communicating risk perception.
• Therefore, first understand your target groups as they
have different perception of risk.
• Consider all risk factors, whether:
– Personal such as social background. For example
mother may seem more worried because she may get
the perception that antennas are risky for children.
– External Factors such as Media institutions sometimes
portray negativity and refer to unreliable sources of
information which influences adversely on peoples’
perception.

8. What are the
requirements
for the
telecom
industry to
improve
public
concerns?
• Compliance with internationally recommended limits
of exposure.
• Create RF hazards Management Program for the
operator including risk management and control.
• Dealing with public perception.
• Building trust with local communities through effective
risk communication:
– by deciding when to communicate, with whom, what and
how to communicate.
• Preparing communication programs to help public
understand the issues and become more involved an
engaged in the process.

9. What are the
requirements
for the
telecom
industry to
improve
public
concerns?
Adopted fromWHO establishing a dialogue on risks from Electromagnetic Fields

10. Where can I
learn more
about EMF
& Health
related
issues?
• The most reliable sources are:
– GSMA
– ITU-T
– WHO
– ICNIRP
– And others

11. References • GSMA Capacity BuildingTraining on Radio Signals &
Health (Jack Rowley, PhD – Senior Director of Research
& Sustainability)
• Mobile Communications & Health, GSMA
• Establishing a dialogue on risks from Electromagnetic
Fields,WHO (2002)
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
(https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf)