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Asbestos Awareness Week: WHO joins efforts to educate

April 1-7, 2011 is Global Asbestos Awareness Week. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is hosting a variety of programs throughout the week to consolidate awareness efforts on behalf of those impacted by asbestos-related diseases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is also joining the effort to create public awareness about the harmful effects of asbestos and provide resources for the victims of asbestos-related diseases. The World Health Assembly passed a resolution asking the WHO to execute a global campaign with the ultimate goal of eliminating asbestos-related diseases. This effort focuses on awareness and assistance by targeting countries still using chrysotile asbestos and those that have a history of using or mining asbestos in all forms.

The WHO, in collaboration with the Labour Organization, other intergovernmental organizations and civil societies work toward asbestos-related disease by these strategies:

  • Provide information about potential solutions for replacing asbestos with safer substitutes and developing economic and technological mechanisms to stimulate its replacement
  • Take measures to prevent exposure to asbestos in place and during asbestos removal
  • Improve early diagnosis, treatment, social and medical rehabilitation for victims of asbestos-related diseases
  • Create registries of people who have been exposed to asbestos

According to WHO, approximately 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at their work place and more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposure. There are nearly 3,000 people diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States and Canada alone.

We hope you will join us in educating people about mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, which are still relevant today.

Learn more about how Motley Rice asbestos lawyers represent asbestos victims and fight for compensation and accountability from companies that manufactured, distributed or supplied asbestos-containing products.