Europe needs to step up efforts to eliminate diseases caused by asbestos, a continental summit said yesterday.
Nearly 15,000 people a year die from these diseases across Europe, according to the World Health Organisation.
The summit heard that asbestos is responsible for about 50% of cases of cancer caused by work.
Some 16 European countries, including Russia, still allow some use of asbestos – and even when it is banned, it needs to be safely removed and disposed of "without delay," according to WHO.
The figures were revealed at WHO’s conference on the environment and health held in Haifa, Israel.
Regional director Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab said: “We cannot afford losing almost 15,000 lives a year in Europe, especially workers, from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos.
"Every death from asbestos-related diseases is avoidable.”
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