The asbestos paradox: global gaps in the translational science of disease prevention

Our plain-English summary of The asbestos paradox: global gaps in the translational science of disease prevention, by O.A. Ogunseitan (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2015).

The study

• Author: O.A. Ogunseitan
• Journal: Bulletin of the World Health Organization
• Published: 2015;93(5):359-60
• Cited by: 12 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Summary of the article

In this perspective article, the author asked what it would take to eradicate mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the pleura described as almost exclusively associated with asbestos exposure. The author noted that asbestos was still used in automobile brake linings, in the chloralkali industry, in some plastics and in domestic building products, especially corrugated roofing in developing countries. Most mesothelioma cases were said to be found in asbestos-producing countries and in developing countries using asbestos products. The article reported that the International Labour Organization's Asbestos Convention, in force since 16 June 1989, had been formally ratified by only 35 of 184 eligible countries (19%). In contrast, 154 countries (83%) were Parties to the 1998 Rotterdam Convention. Attempts to list chrysotile asbestos in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention had failed repeatedly, most recently at the sixth Conference of Parties in 2013, because of resistance from seven countries, most of which produce, use and export asbestos on a large scale. A figure showed asbestos production and consumption in selected countries in 2011. The author described three gaps in translating scientific evidence into prevention policy: making policy decisions amid scientific uncertainty; the role of alternatives assessments in selecting safer materials; and trade-offs between public health, industrial development, economic advancement, employment and political autonomy. The author concluded that mesothelioma could be eradicated, but that more work was needed to bridge the gaps between scientific knowledge and policy decisions.

PubMed has no abstract for this study, and the article doesn't print one. We wrote this summary from the full article with the help of AI. It is not the authors' wording.

In plain English

This short perspective article was a commentary, not a research study, and it reported no new data. The author argued that scientific knowledge about asbestos had not been turned into disease-prevention policy in many parts of the world. The author stated that most mesothelioma cases were now found in countries that produce asbestos and in developing countries that use asbestos products. Citing other sources, the author noted that only 35 of 184 eligible countries (19%) had ratified the International Labour Organization's Asbestos Convention, which entered into force in 1989. By contrast, 154 countries (83% of those eligible) were Parties to the 1998 Rotterdam Convention. Attempts to add chrysotile asbestos to Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention had failed repeatedly, most recently because seven countries resisted. The author described three gaps: making policy decisions under scientific uncertainty, assessing safer alternative materials, and weighing public health against trade, jobs and economic interests. The author concluded that mesothelioma could be eradicated, but that more work was needed to bridge the gaps between scientific knowledge and policy decisions.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Perspective (opinion/commentary) article; not a study and no new data
• Who was studied: No study population. The article discusses countries' asbestos production, consumption and treaty status, with a figure on selected countries in 2011
• Exposure: Asbestos in general and chrysotile asbestos in particular, in products such as automobile brake-linings, the chloralkali industry, some plastics and corrugated roof materials
• Main results:
  • The author stated, citing another source, that most mesothelioma cases are now found in countries producing asbestos and in developing countries using asbestos products
  • Citing International Labour Organization records, the author reported that 35 countries, 19% of 184 eligible, had formally ratified the ILO Asbestos Convention
  • 154 countries (83% of those eligible) were Parties to the 1998 Rotterdam Convention
  • Attempts to list chrysotile asbestos in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention failed repeatedly, most recently at the sixth Conference of Parties because seven countries resisted
  • The author reported that the WHO representative testified that chrysotile and all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans
  • The author noted that published research in this field includes studies from laboratories that may have a conflict of interest with the asbestos industry
  • In the author's view, the proposed informed-consent requirement for chrysotile rests on consistent and reliable evidence from numerous empirical and mechanistic studies
  • First gap identified by the author: making policy decisions within the context of scientific uncertainty
  • Second gap identified by the author: assessing alternatives when selecting safer materials for consumer products
  • Third gap identified by the author: acknowledging trade-offs between public health, industrial development, economic advancement, employment and political autonomy
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that mesothelioma can be eradicated, but that more work is needed to bridge the gaps between scientific knowledge and policy decisions. The author also argued that listing asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention would speed research into safer alternative materials.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Pleura, Asbestos Exposure, Brake Lining, Chrysotile.

Related studies

• Asbestos: the turbulent interface between science and policy — J.B. Gee (1992)
• Asbestos: the turbulent interface between science and policy — K. Morgan (1992)
• Implementation of national policies for a total asbestos ban: a global comparison — R.T. Lin, L.C. Chien, et al. (2019)
• Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH): prevention and detection of asbestos-related diseases, 1987-2005 — M.S. Huuskonen, J. Rantanen (2006)
• Asbestos as a public health risk: disease and policy — H. Weill, J.M. Hughes (1986)
• A camel through the eye of a needle: expertise and the late recognition of asbestos-related diseases — A. Menéndez-Navarro (2011)

Browse more research in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, or return to medical research.