Mesothelioma Death Rate Still Rising in Great Britain

Despite banning all forms and uses of asbestos 20 years ago, Great Britain still has one of the world’s highest rates of mesothelioma cancer, according to the government’s Health and Safety Executive report. The July 2019 report revealed the number of annual deaths from mesothelioma in the country still is peaking and expected to begin a gradual decline in 2020. The report included 2,523 deaths in 2017 (the last year available) from mesothelioma, the rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It estimates as many as 2,637 others could die in 2019. Great Britain, which comprises the nations of England, Scotland and Wales, averaged 2,560 deaths attributed to mesothelioma from 2012 to 2016. The island banned amosite and crocidolite asbestos — the two most toxic types — in 1985 and completed the ban in 1999 by adding chrysotile asbestos. The report illustrates that it takes several decades after an asbestos ban before seeing a sharply reduced number of mesothelioma deaths. “Countries with bans have had to wait 30 or more years before seeing a reduced incidence rate,” mesothelioma specialist Dr. Raja Flores, a thoracic surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “But a ban is better than doing nothing.” Mesothelioma Not Going Away There have been more than 2,000 deaths attributed to mesothelioma in Great Britain each year since 2005. The annual number is not expected to dip below 2,000 again until 20...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news