Rye MP keen to raise awareness of killer industrial disease
Rye MP Michael Foster wants to raise public awareness of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.
He joined forces with the British Lung Foundation and others at the House of Commons last week to support the BLF's campaign to ensure everyone in the UK is 'asbestos aware'.
To mark Action Mesothelioma Day, the British Lung Foundation is monitoring the progress of the Mesothelioma Framework, an NHS action plan for people with the disease.
The charity carried out a survey of cancer networks in England and presented its findings to the National Cancer Director Professor Mike Richards last week.
Mr Foster signed an Early Day Motion calling for greater efforts to be made to improve treatment and care for people with mesothelioma after the survey showed that time and resources were proving major barriers to the full implementation of the Mesothelioma Framework.
Mesothelioma kills one person every five hours in the UK and there is as yet no cure.
It takes between 15 and 60 years after exposure to asbestos for the symptoms of mesothelioma to become apparent.
It is predicted the UK will face an epidemic of the cancer in 2011 - 2015 as people exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are diagnosed with the disease. Recent cases show that tradespeople such as builders, plumbers, gas fitters and electricians are now most at risk of developing mesothelioma.
Just 12 percent of tradespeople are aware that exposure to asbestos can be fatal and less than a third know it can cause cancer, according to a new survey published by the British Lung Foundation ahead of Action Mesothelioma Day.
Worryingly, three quarters of tradespeople (74%) have never had any training in how to deal with asbestos even though the Health and Safety Exeucitve warns that any building built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos.
Michael Foster said: "I am delighted to be supporting the British Lung Foundation's Action Mesothelioma Campaign, as it is helping to bring about real improvements for people with this cruel disease and continues to work for more research into the disease and more awareness about the dangers of asbestos.
"The British Lung Foundation's survey shows that there is a dangerously low level of awareness about the dangers of asbestos amongst the very people who are most at risk of mesothelioma."
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Sunday 05 February 2012
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