Asbestos exposure in Europe still precarious
Across the European Region, at least one in three people is exposed to asbestos at work and in the environment, according to WHO.
About one-third of the 900 million people in the WHO European Region live in countries that have not yet banned the use of asbestos in any form and may therefore be exposed to risks at work and in their other environments. In countries where asbestos is banned, exposure from past use persists. This reports the World Health Organization (WHO) on the occasion of the meeting on the subject and health in Haifa (Israel) and urges countries to abandon asbestos altogether.
Every year, 15,000 people across Europe die from asbestos-related diseases. These include, for example, lung, ovarian or larynx cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. The most efficient way to eliminate these diseases is to stop using asbestos in any form.
Asbestos continues to be permitted in 16 countries in the region, including Albania, Monaco, Russia and Ukraine.
The elimination of asbestos-related diseases was among the most important topics at the Haifa meeting. The event, which served as an overall assessment of progress in the field of environment and health in Europe, was attended by more than 200 representatives of countries in the European Region and international and nongovernmental organizations.
