Mesothelioma – Is the British Government Doing Anything About Mesothelioma?
BY MELANIE WALTERS

Mesothelioma has emerged as one of Britain’s leading causes of death, and figures are set to soar over the coming decades due to the disease’s long incubation period. Unfortunately the problem was kept hidden for many years, though recently it has come into the public eye due to publicity received through a major court case. The landmark case involved determining which insurance companies were responsible for payment of damages to a victim who may develop the disease – the providers covering the company at the time the victim was exposed to asbestos, or those providing cover at the time of the diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma received further attention when February 27, 2008 was designated Action Mesothelioma Day. Events around Britain were held to raise awareness of the disease to both the general public and the national media. As part of the campaign, Thoracic Surgeon John Edwards addressed an international conference, highlighting the fact that funding for research to combat the cancer was desperately needed. He pointed out that of all the cancers being researched, mesothelioma was at the bottom of the list.

The British Government realizes that the problem of mesothelioma is not going away anytime soon. In spite of asbestos being banned as a building material for more than twenty years, thousands of buildings in the public sector still contain the hazardous material, especially schools. Asbestos is sprayed with a silicon coating before installation to prevent the dangerous dust finding its way into the air, but any breach in that coating jeopardizes public health. Tradesmen such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and renovations workers are especially susceptible to asbestos dust, as they often work on older buildings containing asbestos of which the protective silicon layer has disintegrated or been otherwise compromised.

Evidence That British Government Takes Mesothelioma Seriously

Health professionals, trade unions, and patient support groups in conjunction with British MP (Member of Parliament) Michael Clapham, have combined to campaign for the establishment of the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases (NCARD). The NCARD will act as a facilitator between the nation’s leading research groups, and serve as a centre for funding for mesothelioma and other asbestos related research. The group has received immense support from around the country, and has held meetings with Britain’s national director for cancer, the Prime Minister’s advisor on national health, and the country’s minister for health.

The meeting was deemed as evidence that mesothelioma is something that the British Government is serious about; the next step will be the provision of funding for mesothelioma research. Britain needs to follow the lead of countries such as Australia, whose government has already designated over 6 million Australian Dollars to establish their own centre for mesothelioma research.

Mesothelioma a Man-Made Problem

Mesothelioma and other conditions resulting from asbestos exposure are man made problems, and it’s man’s responsibility to combat them. The Government especially has a social and moral responsibility to designate funding to fight and find out more about mesothelioma. In places like Asia, asbestos continues to be traded, and consequently cases of mesothelioma will continue to rise. Hopefully as more of the world is made aware of asbestos and the health problems associated with it, the fight for compensation that most families experience in wrongful death suits related to asbestos exposure will become easier, and the penalties more substantial.