According to this article an epidemic in asbestos related diseases is ongoing and expected to continue in South Africa.
Dozens of South Africans still die of asbestos-related diseases every year, despite the closure of asbestos mines in the mid-1980s.
…
Dr Shahieda Adams, a medical specialist in occupational and environmental health, said although the government was trying to prohibit the use and manufacture of asbestos, the fibre had a long latency period and problems could manifest only years after people were exposed to it.
She told Weekend Argus that in some cases it could take up to 30 years for the disease to manifest.
“That’s why we still see people dying today. We are actually hitting the asbestos epidemic now. And, on top of that, people in the Northern Cape are still exposed to secondary pollution from asbestos as a result of the fibre being used in their homes and buildings and to insulate structures in that area.”
February 14, 2008 at 3:14 pm
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