The World Health Organization estimates that 1,661 people die from asbestos disease in Indonesia every year, including 1,368 lung cancer cases and 225 mesothelioma cases. Yet, according to health system statistics, there have been no asbestos deaths and just six asbestos compensation claims.
A proposal by Australia and Switzerland aimed to prevent small numbers of Parties (mostly companies who sell chemicals) from blocking their listing on the Rotterdam Convention.
The Cambodian Minister of Labor and Vocational Training and the Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia discussed moving toward prohibition or elimination of asbestos use in Cambodia from 2025.
In a major breakthrough for the global campaign to eliminate asbestos related diseases in Asia, the Cambodian Government has this week announced it will stop asbestos use in 2025.
With the support of the Australian embassy in Laos, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has put up a billboard in front of the Australian Embassy in Laos to highlight the dangers of asbestos.
The Rotterdam Convention will convene this month to decide whether countries have a right to know about hazardous substances, including asbestos, that enter their country.