Mesothelioma on a Global Scale
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 90,000 people die globally each year from asbestos-related diseases that were contracted as a result of occupational exposure. Another several thousand deaths can be attributed to asbestos exposure occurring outside the workplace. Even with the asbestos regulations and bans that have been enacted in various countries, around 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at their jobs.
Recently, there have been efforts started around the world to help put a stop to asbestos exposure and to support those whose lives have already been affected by exposure.
On April 30th, Australia’s Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations launched the Australian Mesothelioma Registry. Managed by the Cancer Institute of NSW, it will collect information on new cases of mesothelioma from the State and Territory registries.
Once the highest per capita consumer of asbestos in the world, Australia is predicted to have an increase in residents suffering from asbestos-related diseases over the next four to five years. By collecting details of when, where, and how the asbestos occurred, authorities hope to prevent future risks.
In North East England and Cumbria, the number of workers who have died from an asbestos-related disease has reached a record high, at 400 people per year. The industrial past of the region lends itself to a high mesothelioma diagnosis rate. To help living victims and family members cope, the Northern Asbestos Support and Campaign Group was launched in April on Worker’s Memorial Day.
With 2,000 people dying nationally every year from an asbestos-related disease, asbestos is the largest work-related cause of death in the UK.
In Quebec, asbestos-related diseases have become the cause of over 60 percent of occupational deaths, however, the province continues to mine the product and export it overseas.
A New Democrat member of parliament and the Canadian Cancer Society are challenging the federal government to stop its funding of the Chrysotile Institute, an advocacy group that promotes the safe use of asbestos, and instead use the money to come up with a strategy that will phase out the use and export of asbestos.
And in Rwanda, steps have been taken to begin the removal of asbestos roofing in schools throughout the country and prevent the building of any future schools with this lethal material. To make sure the removal is done in a safe way that will not cause widespread contamination during demolition, Canadian experts have been brought in to manage the project.