Asbestos Awareness Week
Asbestos Awareness Week aims to commemorate those lives that have been touched and affected by asbestos-related conditions as well as highlight the dangers of asbestos.
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26 November 2009
This week is Asbestos Awareness Week and it aims to commemorate those lives that have been touched and affected by asbestos-related conditions as well as highlight the dangers of asbestos.
According to the World Health Organization, Australia and UK have the highest rate of asbestos-related cancer deaths in the world.
In Australia, 500 men and 100 women develop mesothelioma every year and there have already been about 10,000 cases of mesothelioma in Australia since records began in the early 1980s.
By 2020, it is estimated that Australia will have 13,000 cases of mesothelioma and a further 40,000 cases of asbestos-related cancer.
The Government is committed to tackling asbestos-related health problems as well as supporting patients and their families who have suffered as a result of the terrible legacy of asbestos in Australia.
Recently, the Prime Minister announced a loan with the NSW Government of up to $320 million to ensure that compensation is available for James Hardie asbestos victims.
The Government will contribute $5 million to the new Bernie Banton Centre, the world’s first dedicated asbestos research institute.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently opened the centre, also known as the Asbestos Disease Research Institute, which is a major co-development between the NSW Government and the ANZAC Research Institute at Concord Hospital in Sydney.
The centre honours Bernie Banton, who died from the disease but still battled to help and support victims of mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease.
The establishment of the centre is a major boost to research conducted on the Concord Hospital campus, where Bernie Banton was treated.
It will also promote prevention and education about asbestos-related disease in Australia and throughout the Asian region.
The Government has previously announced the establishment of a Bernie Banton Asbestos Research Fellowship under the National Health and Medical Research Centre fellowship program.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220.
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