Prelude
LATIN America is in the throes of a health crisis caused by past and present exposure to asbestos. It is a crisis whose magnitude is not known due to lack of reliable data. This, however, does not make the poorer America immune to asbestos-related diseases. In the next 15-20 years, an epidemic is most likely to come to light and continue for a much longer period than in North America. This is because, unlike North America, most countries in Latin America are yet to enforce safety measures.
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On the surface, though, many Latin American countries have restricted asbestos use. But the ground reality is different. Asbestos continues to be imported (mainly from Canada), asbestos products continue to be used, and workers continue to work in asbestos environments unprotected.
Under pressure from Canada (the biggest beneficiary of continued asbestos use worldwide), most Latin American governments seem more inclined towards “controlled use” than outright ban. The point they obviously miss is that “controlled use” as defined by first world countries is unaffordable and infeasible for Latin American economies.
Scenarios in different countries of Latin America
- Chile: This was the first country in Latin America to ban asbestos, in 2001. This was a difficult decision by Chile since its biggest asbestos supplier prior to the ban, Canada, used every diplomatic tool to dissuade it. The government of Chile, however, had to bow to strong public opinion.
- Colombia: This country is both a producer and importer of asbestos. It imports around 18,000 tons of asbestos mainly from Canada.
- Brazil: Since 2000, the following Brazilian towns and states (earlier accounting for 70% of the Brazilian asbestos market) have banned asbestos:
- Towns: Osasco, Sao Caetano do Sul, Mogi Mirim.
- States: Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Sao Paulo.
Brazil however has not adopted a national ban. Instead, in 1995, it passed a federal law supporting ‘controlled use’ of asbestos despite the absence of facilities for the required level of control. Brazilian policy is also in favor of asbestos substitutes.
- Nicaragua: In 1998, Nicaragua passed a law to regulate use of asbestos. But the fact is that there is little or no regulation. Most workers occupationally exposed to asbestos are employees of small companies that make their workers produce asbestos-containing products (e.g., brake linings) with their hands.
- Costa Rica: This country has a “controlled use” policy since 1996. Yet, asbestos cement is still widely used in construction and in making brake linings. Workers are not adequately trained or protected, nor are most of them aware of the lethal effects of asbestos. Asbestos-containing products are also not labeled to warn users.
- Ecuador: Asbestos-cement is widely used in this country’s pipe and roofing material industry. Workers are neither trained nor equipped protect themselves from inhaling asbestos.
- Uruguay: This country claims to follow the principle of “controlled use” of white asbestos. It has factories manufacturing brake linings and asbestos-cement goods.
- Peru: All asbestos mines have been shut down in Peru. Asbestos-substitution efforts are on, but asbestos-cement and asbestos-textiles are still widely used and asbestos continues to be imported.
- Cuba: An Asbestos Commission was set up in 1999 to look into the safer substitutes. Yet, as if in defiance, Cuba continues to be a bigger user of asbestos through its cement, water and sewage pipe, water tank, and roofing material industries.
- Venezuela : In a stark commentary on the discounting of public health for financial reasons, Venezuela manufactures asbestos-free brakes for export, but asbestos-containing brakes are used by its own citizens. European multinationals operating in Venezuela import around 4,000 tones of asbestos-cement products.
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Conclusion
Latin America, by and large, remains a huge part of the world where workers continue to be exposed to asbestos fiber on a daily basis. An effective system for monitoring of asbestos-related diseases hardly exists.
Therefore, no reliable data about the severity of current or future mesothelioma cases is available. With few notable exceptions like Chile, governments in the region are dithering over a complete ban on asbestos, thanks to Canada, the chief exporter of asbestos to this region. Though most countries in Latin America profess a “controlled use” policy, the fact is that the equipment and facilities required for proper “controlled use” are not available. Clearly, Latin America is sitting on a mesothelioma time-bomb. |
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