Asbestos: One Word. One Week. One World.
April 1–7, 2026

Posted January 28, 2026

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is proud to recognize April 1-7 as Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW), a sustained international initiative dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, advancing evidence-based policy, and protecting public health. Now in its 22nd year, GAAW convenes scientists, public health professionals, labor leaders, policymakers, advocates, and individuals impacted by asbestos-related diseases from around the world to share knowledge, document risk, and drive prevention-focused action.

Throughout the week, ADAO and GAAW partners feature daily educational programming from leading organizations, including expert guest blogs, videos, and first-person stories from those whose lives have been forever changed by asbestos exposure. The week concludes with a global virtual Candlelight Vigil honoring those lost to preventable asbestos-caused diseases and reaffirming a shared commitment to prevention.

Asbestos is a known human carcinogen with no safe level of exposure. Despite widespread misunderstanding that asbestos is a problem of the past, asbestos exposure continues to be a threat to public health. Asbestos is found in homes, schools, workplaces, consumer products, and contaminated sites, placing workers, families, and communities at risk. In the United States alone, tens of thousands of people continue to die each year from asbestos-caused diseases, underscoring persistent gaps in prevention, enforcement, and accountability.

Global Asbestos Awareness Week reinforces a central truth: awareness must lead to prevention, and prevention requires enforceable policy, regulatory compliance, and global coordination. This imperative is captured in the unifying 2026 theme:

“Asbestos: One Word. One Week. One World.”

2026 GAAW Daily Focus

  • Day One: A Movement Begins — Legacy, Facts, and Occupational Cancer Prevention
  • Day Two: Global Public Health — Science, Storytelling, and Prevention Failure
  • Day Three: Art, Advocacy, and Action — Humanizing Data to Drive Change
  • Day Four: Policy and Justice — Prevention Through Law and Accountability
  • Day Five: Global Solidarity — Labor, Legacy, and Ending Profitable Harm
  • Day Six: Digital Tools for Prevention — AI, Access, and Global Reach
  • Day Seven: Candlelight Vigil and Remembrance — Honoring Lives, Renewing Commitment

As GAAW continues to evolve, ADAO is expanding access to credible, life-saving information through multilingual education, strengthened international partnerships, and advanced digital prevention tools, including AI-powered resources designed to reach workers, families, and decision-makers worldwide.

Partnership opportunities, campaign resources, and engagement details will be released soon. We look forward to working together to prevent asbestos exposure and eliminate all asbestos-caused diseases.

Together, change is possible.

Linda Reinstein
President & CEO, ADAO