職安議題

阻止即將到來的亞洲癌症大流行

對全球科學家、醫師、研究者及受石綿影響群體的行動呼籲

English

一群科學家和研究者，今日（12/15）發起一場全球運動，以對抗石綿產業（尤其在亞洲地區者）對致癌產品的不實資訊。

全球流行病學研究「全球疾病負荷」（Global Burden of Disease, GBD）是由健康指標與評估研究院（Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation）進行，其最新推估顯示：2016年有超過22.2萬人死於石綿相關疾病，諸如肺癌、間皮瘤、喉癌、卵巢癌以及石綿肺症。GBD是迄今最全面的全球觀察性流行病學研究。

「亞洲禁止石綿網絡」（Asia Ban Asbestos Network）與「工會海外援助─澳洲人支持海外健康、教育與發展」（Union Aid Abroad –APHEDA）合作，發表全球公開信，呼籲科學家、研究者、醫師及石綿相關疾病受害者代表簽署，並協助遏止未來亞洲本可避免的癌症大流行、對抗石綿產業的謊言與不實訊息。

位於澳洲雪梨的石綿疾病研究所（Asbestos Disease Research Institute）所長高橋謙教授說：「我敦促所有關心的科學家、研究者和醫師加入我們簽署的行列，以將這個至關重要的訊息傳達給亞洲各國政府。」

儘管已有超過60個國家早就禁用白石綿（chrysotile），且還有更多國家不再使用它，全世界每年仍有超過150萬噸的使用量，大多是在亞洲。即使世界衛生組織已明確向政府建議：「根除石綿相關疾病最有效率的方法，是停止使用任何類型的石綿。」

Union Aid Abroad執行長Kate Lee說：「亞洲許多國家的政府正受到來自石綿產業的不實資訊轟炸，這個產業亟欲保護它最後的主要市場──亞洲。我們鼓勵認同這封信內容的科學家、醫師、研究者連署，並幫助亞洲政府清楚了解證據。」

數十年來全球已有壓倒性的證據指出：所有類型的石綿，都會使暴露其中的勞工、社區居民和消費者罹患癌症。

日本國際職業安全衛生中心（Center for Occupational Safety and Health, JICOSH）秘書長、亞洲禁止石綿網絡協調員古谷杉郎先生說：「越來越多國家推出禁令，且先前生產∕出口石綿的大國近期決定禁止石綿（如加拿大在2016年、巴西在2017年），這些意味著：對所有仍舊使用這種致命物質的國家而言，這確實是決斷的時刻。這封公開信以扎實的科學為所有這些努力背書。」

上個世紀白石綿的主要消費國和社群，例如美國、澳洲、日本、韓國和歐盟，今日正遭受可怕的健康、環境與經濟後果。

一群科學家和研究者為這封公開信的內容背書，並強烈呼籲他們的同儕也加入連署。這些人包含：

高橋謙教授

雪梨大學Concord臨床醫學院石綿疾病研究所所長

Richard A. Lemen教授, Ph.D, MSPH

美國助理軍醫局長（Assistant Surgeon General）（已退休）

美國公共衛生服務局（USPHS）海軍少將（已退休）

鄭雅文教授, ScD

​國立臺灣大學公衛學院健康政策與管理研究所

余德新教授

港職業及環境健康學院主席及名譽院長

香港工人健康中心榮譽醫務顧問

賽馬會公共衞生及基層醫療學院榮譽臨床教授

Jukka Takala博士（兼任教授）

國際職業健康委員會（International Commission on Occupational Health, ICOH）主席

Tim Driscoll教授

雪梨大學雪梨公衛學院，公衛碩士學程主任、流行病學及職業醫學教授

如果您支持我們的行動，並願意公開連署，請將您的姓名以及下列資訊寄給我們：

• 職稱
• 組織
• 國家
• Email （將不會公開）

這封公開信將開放連署直到2018年2月15日。接著這封公開信將在2018年呈報亞洲各國政府，以便向他們展示諸多壓倒性證據，是關於持續使用白石綿對其人民、環境和經濟的有害影響，同時也還有許多替代方案可用。

關於如何簽署這封信的細節，可參見如下連結 http://apheda.org.au/asbestos-open-letter/。

※亞洲禁止石綿網絡（Asian Ban Asbestos Network, A-BAN）創立於2009年，宗旨為促進廣泛的社會各界就石綿議題的各個面向進行努力，並達成禁止石綿及消除可預防的疾病和死亡。

※工會海外援助－澳洲人支持海外健康、教育與發展（Union Aid Abroad –APHEDA）是一個澳洲工會運動的社會正義組織。

Stop the coming cancer epidemic in Asia

Global call for action to scientists, doctors, researchers and groups affected by asbestos  

15 December 2017

An influential group of scientists and researchers today launched a global campaign to counter the misinformation from the asbestos industry, particularly in Asia, about the cancer causing product.

Latest estimates by respected global  epidemiological study Global Burden of Disease (GBD), conducted by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggest more than 222,000 people died in 2016  from asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, laryngeal and ovarian cancer as well as asbestosis.  The GBD study is the most comprehensive worldwide observational epidemiological study ever conducted.

The Asia Ban Asbestos Network in cooperation with Union Aid Abroad –APHEDA launched the global open letter calling on scientists, researchers and doctors and those representing victim of asbestos related disease to sign on and help stem the future epidemic of avoidable cancers in Asia and counter the lies and misinformation from the asbestos industry.

“I urge all caring scientists, researchers and doctors to join with us in signing on to send this crucial message to Asian Governments,” said Professor Ken Takahashi, Director of the Asbestos Disease Research Institute in Sydney Australia.

While chrysotile (white) asbestos is banned in more than 60 countries already and many more no longer use it, more than 1.5 million tons a year are still being used in the world, mostly in Asia. This is despite the World Health Organisations clear recommendation to governments ‘the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop using all types of asbestos’.

Kate Lee Executive Officer of Union Aid Abroad APHEDA ‘Many governments in Asia are being bombarded with misinformation from an asbestos industry desperate to protect its last major market, Asia. We encourage scientists, doctors, researchers who agree with the content of this letter to sign on and help Asian governments be clear on the evidence. ‘  she said.

The global evidence has been for many decades overwhelming, that all types of asbestos cause cancer among those workers, community and consumers exposed. 

Mr Sugio Furuya, General Secretary, Japan International Center for Occupational Safety and Health (JICOSH) and Coordinator ABAN ‘More and more countries are introducing bans and recent decisions to ban asbestos by previously large asbestos producing/exporting countries such as Canada in 2016 and Brazil in 2017 mean this is indeed a moment of decision for all countries still using this deadly substance. The open letter gives solid scientific endorsement for all those efforts’.

Countries and communities that were major consumers of chrysotile asbestos last century such as USA, Australia, Japan, Korea and the Europe Union are suffering the terrible health, environmental and economic consequences today.

A range of eminent international scientists and researchers have endorsed the content in this open letter and strongly urged their peers to also sign. These include:

Professor Ken Takahashi
Director
Asbestos Diseases Research Institute.
Concord Clinical School, University of Sydney

Professor Richard A. Lemen, Ph.D, MSPH
USA Assistant Surgeon General (Ret.)
Rear Admiral, USPHS (Ret.)

Professor Yawen Cheng, ScD
​Institute of Health Policy and Management
College of Public Health, National Taiwan University

Professor Ignatius Yu
Chairman & Honorary President, Hong Kong Occupational & Environmental Health Academy
Honorary Medical Advisor, Hong Kong Workers’ Health Centre
Honorary Clinical Professor, JC School of Public Health & Primary Care

Dr Jukka Takala (Adjunct Prof)
President, International Commission on Occupational Health, ICOH

Professor Tim Driscoll
Professor, Epidemiology and Occupational Medicine; Director, Master of Public Health; Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney

Please read the Open Letter carefully and email us with the following information if you agree to add your name being added to the Letter: 

• Your title
• Your organisation
• Your country
• Your email address (kept private)

This campaign for signatures will be open until 15 February 2018. All emails to be received by 5pm (AEDT) Thursday 15 February 2018.

Emails to be sent to openletter@apheda.org.au with a statement along the following lines: “I agree to sign on to the A-BAN Open Letter to Asian Governments and other Policymakers in regards to the Health Alert on Chrysotile Asbestos’”

Details of how to sign on to the letter are available at the following link http://apheda.org.au/asbestos-open-letter/

The Asian Ban Asbestos Network (A-BAN) was established in 2009 to facilitate efforts by wide range of social parties on various aspects of asbestos issues and to achieve a ban on asbestos and the elimination of avoidable diseases and deaths.

Union Aid Abroad  - APHEDA is the social justice organisation of the Australian trade union movement