Thanh Nien Daily: Vietnam to stick to white asbestos, despite cancer concern
Posted on December 19, 2014
Photo Source: Thanh Nien Daily
Once again, the pro-asbestos industry has lobbied for continued use of asbestos, and unfortunately they have succeeded in Vietnam.
Although, the asbestos facts are irrefutable and it is well-known that asbestos is a human carcinogen and there is no safe level of use, many countries continue to manufacture asbestos despite the health concerns. The World Health Organization (WHO) states: “About 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace. More than 107,000 deaths each year are attributable to occupational exposure to asbestos.” The Vietnam paper, Thanh Nien Daily News even reported that a, “Health Ministry expert urged Vietnam to limit consumer exposure to chrysotile, or white asbestos, but construction insiders prevailed by arguing the material is safe and cheap.” Yet still, the pro-asbestos industry continues to mine and peddle approximately 2 million metric tons of asbestos each year. In 2012, Vietnam was the seventh largest asbestos user in the world.
Why are the facts being blatantly ignored? Asbestos lobbyists have a lot to do with it. By infiltrating national conferences and meetings spreading pro-asbestos propaganda many governments are turning a blind eye to the carcinogenic nature of this product. The asbestos industry even placed some of their best ‘experts’ such as Dr. David Bernstein and Dr. Ericson Bagatin at The Science, Technology and Environmental Committee at the National Assembly recent December meeting in Hanoi.
For nearly ten years, the WHO, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization and other intergovernmental organizations and civil society, have been working with countries towards eliminating asbestos-related diseases by stating the, “most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop the use of all types of asbestos.” Yet with the lobbyists treachery it is difficult to make progress.
This year, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, an official with the Ministry of Health, was quoted saying, “Asbestos is very dangerous, more so than tobacco, and has placed a heavy medical burden on the world. Our children will continue to suffer its effects if we don’t stop using asbestos now.” Sadly, after hearing the various arguments, the Vice Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam said Vietnam “will continue to allow the manufacture and use of white asbestos due to a lack of “convincing evidence” against it,” again pointing out the obvious impediments of asbestos regulation especially in developing countries with fewer regulations.
Vietnam’s decision “to stick to white asbestos, despite cancer concern” is horrific, but we remain committed to another year dedicated to the global ban asbestos struggle to end this man-made disaster.
In unity,
Linda