Abstract
The asbestos cancer epidemic may take as many as 10
million lives before asbestos is banned worldwide and
exposures are brought to an end. In many developed
countries, in the most affected age groups, mesothelioma
may account for 1% of all deaths. In addition to
mesotheliomas, 5-7% of all lung cancers can be
attributed to occupational exposures to asbestos. The
asbestos cancer epidemic would have been largely
preventable if the World Health Organization (WHO) and
the International Labor Organization (ILO) had responded
early and responsibly. The WHO was late in recognizing
the epidemic and failed to act decisively after it was
well under way. The WHO and the ILO continue to fail to
address the problem of asbestos mining, manufacturing,
and use and world trade of a known human carcinogen.
Part of the problem is that the WHO and the ILO have
allowed organizations such as the International
Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and other
asbestos industry advocates to manipulate them and to
distort scientific evidence. The global asbestos cancer
epidemic is a story of monumental failure to protect the
public health.
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