Transcript Gender, Work and the WHO/ILO Joint Effort in Occupational Health

Chrysotile Asbestos and
Disease
Dr Sophia Kisting
Occupational and Environmental
Health Research Unit, University of
Cape Town, South Africa
NUM Parliamentary Presentation
28 January 2003
Commercial Types of Asbestos
3 commercial types mined in South Africa
 Chrysotile or white
 Crocidolite or blue
 Amosite or brown
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OEHRU, University of Cape Town
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Diseases caused by chrysotile
asbestos
Asbestosis
 Lung cancer
 Mesothelioma
 It is by and large poorer members of society
who carry the biggest burden of asbestos
related diseases
 The advocates of asbestos use have seldom
been exposed or suffer from the disease
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OEHRU, University of Cape Town
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International Agency for
Research on Cancer
Classified chrysotile as a human carcinogen
 Mainly chrysotile used throughout the
world
 Chrysotile associated with lung cancer
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OEHRU, University of Cape Town
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Role of asbestos industry
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Historically a treacherous one
Exploitation of the poor
Fund research and suppressed information if not in
their interest
Developed world mostly stopped or controlled the
use of chrysotile
Most of Canada’s chrysotile exported to the
developing world
India, in particular is targeted as an export market
OEHRU, University of Cape Town
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What about the environment
and future generations
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We know that chrysotile causes cancer
How can we continue to use it with this
knowledge at our disposal?
Since if manifests years later as disease we are
taking decisions for our children and
grandchildren to suffer from the same diseases that
is causing one of the biggest tragedies in our
country
There are alternatives to chrysotile asbestos
OEHRU, University of Cape Town
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