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In a letter sent to three government ministers, over 200 scientists and over 100 labour and health organizations from 36 countries urge Government of India to protect the health of the people of India, not the profits of  the asbestos industry

November 27, 2013

Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad
Minister of Labour & Employment, Sis Ram Ola
Minister of Forests & Environment, Jayanthi Natarajan
Government of India

Dear Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Minister of Labour & Employment and Minister of Forests & Environment:

We respectfully wish to bring to your attention our deep concerns regarding efforts currently underway to promote the use of chrysotile asbestos in India.

On December 3 and 4, the International Chrysotile Association, which represents the interests of the global asbestos industry, together with the Asbestos Cement Product Manufacturers’ Association of India, will be holding a conference in New Delhi to promote use of chrysotile asbestos in India and to put forward the claim that scientific research shows that chrysotile asbestos can be safely used.

This claim is utterly false. The world scientific community has overwhelmingly concluded that chrysotile asbestos causes deadly diseases, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung and other cancers, and that it cannot be safely used.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization have called for an end to all use of chrysotile asbestos in order to prevent further tragic epidemics of asbestos-related diseases.

To name just a few leading organisations, the World Federation of Public Health Associations, the International Commission on Occupational Health, the International Social Security Association, the Union for International Cancer Control (representing 770 member organisations in 155 countries, including the Indian Cancer Society and the Cancer Aid and Research Foundation of India), the International Trade Union Confederation (representing 175 million workers in 151 countries), the Collegium Ramazzini, the Joint Policy Committee of Societies of Epidemiology and the Indian Association of Occupational Health have all called for an end to the use of chrysotile asbestos.

Chrysotile asbestos represents 95% of all asbestos used over the past century and today represents the entirety of the asbestos trade. In every country in which it has been used, chrysotile asbestos has left behind a legacy of terrible human suffering and billions of dollars of economic costs for health care and compensation for victims and for removal of deteriorated asbestos from buildings.For this reason, the World Bank recommends against the use of chrysotile asbestos.

The International Chrysotile Association is a lobby organisation, based in Quebec, Canada and headed by Mr. Jean Leblond, a long-time salesman for the Quebec asbestos mines. The Association has been condemned by medical experts in Quebec and around the world for putting forward deadly, deceptive misinformation that will cause suffering and loss of life for years to come.

Not a single reputable scientific agency in the world supports the claim put forward by the International Chrysotile Association and the Asbestos Cement Product Manufacturers’ Association that chrysotile asbestos can be safely used.

In the face of the demand by Quebec and other health experts to end its export of asbestos, the Quebec government last year closed down the last asbestos mines in Quebec. Quebec and the rest of Canada virtually stopped using asbestos many years ago. However, because of the long latency period for asbestos-related diseases, 70% of deaths from occupational disease in Quebec continue today to be caused by asbestos.

In the face of the public health disaster caused by asbestos, 54 industrialized countries have banned any use of asbestos. Other countries, such as the United States and Canada simply stopped using it. Consequently, the asbestos industry, in order to ensure its continued profits, is aggressively targeting Asian countries for sales. Just six Asian countries – China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka – now represent 70% of world asbestos consumption.

While the asbestos industry pretends that asbestos is widely used, in fact, just eight countries represent 87% of global consumption: China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

India imports more asbestos than any other country on the planet, with imports having risen from 253,382 tons in 2006 to 473,240 tons in 2012, an increase of 186%. These vast amounts of asbestos, being placed in homes and schools across India, are a deadly time bomb that will go on causing suffering and deaths for decades to come, as well as causing a financial drain on India.

While Russia and Brazil reap the profits of exporting asbestos, it is India that will pay the price in human suffering and in financial costs.

While there is no systematic monitoring and reporting of asbestos related diseases (ARD) in India, 225 cases of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer found in people exposed to all forms of asbestos fibres, have been reported by the Indian cancer registry, the Gujarat Cancer Institute and the Tata Cancer Institute. Independent studies in Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand of former asbestos product manufacturing factory/mine workers have identified over 500 cases of asbestosis, some of whom have also been compensated for contracting ARD due to work related exposure. New data being collected by independent health organisations show diseases amongst family members of workers due to secondary and environmental exposures. Several legal cases are pending in labour and civil courts in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

As a result of increased use of asbestos in Asia, Dr. G.V. Le, Dr. K. Takahasi et al have warned: “A surge of ARD in Asia should be anticipated in the coming decades. Asian countries should not only cease asbestos use but also prepare themselves for an impending epidemic of ARD.” (Le, G.V., Takahashi, K. et al, Asbestos use and asbestos-related diseases in Asia: Past, present and future, Respirology, 2011, 16, 767–775.)

In order to promote its false claim that chrysotile asbestos can be safely used, the International Chrysotile Association financed a paper to be written by Dr. David Bernstein, who has worked for decades for the tobacco industry and for the asbestos industry. Dr. Bernstein will present his paper, Health Risks of Chrysotile Revisited, supporting use of chrysotile asbestos, at the New Delhi conference. A New York court has recently ruled that a number of scientific papers written by Dr. Bernstein, financed by an asbestos products company, were intended to cast doubt on the capability of chrysotile asbestos to cause cancer, and constituted potential crime-fraud.

When he testified in court on behalf of an asbestos company, Dr. Bernstein admitted to the judge that not a single scientific body anywhere agreed with his views on chrysotile asbestos.

The asbestos industry is concerned to protect its profits. Our concern is the protection of public health. We respectfully urge you, as Minister of Health, Minister of Labour and Minister of Environment for India, to put the health interests of the people of India ahead of the vested interests of the asbestos industry.

We urge you and the government of India to support the recommendation of the World Health Organization and the worldwide, reputable scientific community and ban the use of any asbestos in India in order to prevent further unnecessary suffering and death. We urge you to join the vast majority of countries in the world who have adopted an enlightened policy, based on the overwhelming scientific evidence, to ban all use of asbestos in order to protect public health for generations to come.

We would be happy to provide our support to you in any way that might be useful. Please do not hesitate to call upon us.

Respectfully,

Copies to:

Director, NIOH, Ahmedabad

President, Indian Medical Association

Director, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow

Director, National Institute of Miners Health, Nagpur

Director General, Factory Advice Service and Labor Institutes (DGFASLI),

Mumbai

SIGNED BY THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL SIGNERS AND ORGANISATIONS

Note: The following individual signers are listed in alphabetical order. Titles and affiliations are given for identification purposes only. Some of the signers have been involved in asbestos litigation.

Pierre Aïach, sociologue, directeur de recherche honoraire, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), France

Dr. Wael Al-Delaimy, MD, PhD, Professor, Chief, Division of Global Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Dr Dileep N Andhare, Adj. Prof. (Occupational & Environmental Health), Indian Institute of Public Health (Gandhinagar), Sardar Patel Institute Campus, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Prof. Dr. med. Peter Angerer, Institut für Arbeitsmedizin und Sozialmedizin, Heinrich Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany

Dr. Vinicius C. Antao, MD, MSc, PhD, Lead, Registries Team, Environmental Health Surveillance Branch, Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Atlanta, GA, USA

Dr. Raimund Arnold, GP, Wasserburg, Germany

Mg. Ruth Arroyo, Lic. Enfermería, Magister en Salud Publica; Docente Universidad San Marcos (UNMSM); ECOSAD- Consorcio por la Salud, Ambiente y Desarrollo, Lima, Perú

Nicholas A. Ashford, PhD., JD, Professor of Technology and Policy; Director, MIT Technology and Law Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

Dr. med. Thomas Baumeister, Specialist in occupational medicine, Gewerbearzt-Regierung von Oberfranken, Gewerbeaufsichtsamt, Coburg, Germany

Nathalie Belleau, conseillère syndicale, Conseil central Montréal-métropolitain- Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Dr. Fiorella Belpoggi, Director, Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center,n Ramazzini Institute, Bologna, Italy

Dustin Bennett, Full Member (MAIOH) and Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH), Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH); Principal Occupational Hygienist, AIOH, Australia

Dr. Martina Bergann MD, Specialist for Internal medicine and Occupational Health, Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Michael Bestler, Karlsruhe, Germany

Vicki Grace Boguszewski, MPH, CHES, Key West, Florida, USA

Dr. med. Joern-Helge Bolle, occupational physician, Germany

Dr. Yv Bonnier-Viger, MD, MSc, MM, CMSQ, FRCPC, Medical Specialist in Public Health and Preventive Medicine; Director, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec; Président de l’Association des médecins spécialistes en santé communautaire du Québec, Canada

Traci-Anne Boyle, MBA, CIH, CSP, LAC, AirQuest Environmental, Inc., SeaQuest Testing & Consulting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

Dr. Frank Buettner, MD, specialist in internal medicine, occupational medicine, emergency medicine and general medicine, Berlin, Germany

Dr.med. Bärbel Bula-Wiese, Betriebsmedizin, Germany

Bennie Bunsee, Editor, IKWEZI Journal, Cape Town, South Africa

Ray Bustinza, médecin, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Canada

Dr. John R. Calvert, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Dr. Estelle Carde, medical doctor and sociology professor, University of Montréal, Québec, Canada

Barry Castleman, ScD, Environmental Consultant; Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini, Italy; author, Asbestos: Medical and Legal Aspects, USA

Dr. Sergio Cedillo, Physician, Occupational health doctor, Occupational Health & Safety labor companies inspector, Mexico

Nadine Chaix, Professeur, Documentaliste, Venelles, France

Jean Claude Chaix, retraité et ancien responsable santé sécurité, Venelles, France

Dr. Sanjay Chaturvedi, MD, FAMS, FIPHA, FIAPSM, Professor of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India

Dr. Nayanjeet Chaudhury, MD, MPH, CPT(ACSM), Director – Research, Population Services International – India, New Delhi, India

Sr M. Chetty, Occupational Health Nursing Practitioner, Occupational Health Clinic, Groote Schur Hospital, South Africa

Yeyong Choi, PhD, Director, Asian Citizens’ Center for Environment and Health, South Korea

André Cicolella, Scientifique advisor, INERIS, National Institute for Environment and Risks, France

Richard Clapp, Professor Emeritus, Boston University School of Public Health and Adjunct Professor, University of Massachusetts – Lowell, USA

Barbara Cohrssen, MS, CIH, AIHA (American Industrial Hygiene Association) Fellow, San Francisco, California, USA

Dr. Lilian Corra, MD, International Secretary, International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE); Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini, Italy; President, Asociación Argentina de Médicos por el Medio Ambiente (AAMMA); Director, Career of Medical Specialists on Health and Environment, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thomas Coutrot, economist, spokeperson for Attac (Association pour la taxation des transactions financières et pour l’action citoyenne), France

Christophe Coutanceau, public health researcher, Nantes, France

Carl F. Cranor, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Faculty Member, Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California, CA, USA

Camille Al Dabaghy, PhD Student, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), France

Sébastien Dalgalarrondo, Chargé de recherche au CNRS, IRIS – Université Paris 13, France

Mohamed Aqiel Dalvie, Associate Professor, Director, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Research, South Africa

Dr. Carlos Damin, Professor of Toxicology, University of Buenos Aires, Catedram de Toxicologia – Facultad de Medicina – Universidad de Buenos Aires, Divisiónn Toxicología – Hospital Fernández – Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Paul S. Darby, MD, PhD, MPH, FACOEM, Medical Director, Franciscan Occupational Health; Medical Director, Western WA Center of Occupational Health & Education; Clinical Instructor, School of Public Health, University of Washington, USA

Docteur Philippe Davezies, Enseignant chercheur en médecine et santé au travail, Université Lyon 1, France

Maria De Koninck, Professeure émérite, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Lic. Eva Delgado Rosas, Soc. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUC); Maestría Salud Ocupacional, Universidad de San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Perú

Sandrine de Montgolfier, Maître de conférences en histoire des Sciences du Vivant, Institut de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les enjexu sociaux, IRIS, France

Dr. Arch. Silvia de Schiller, PhD, Director of the CIHE SI FADU UBA – Habitat and Energy Research Centre, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Luis Eugenio Portela Fernandes de Souza, MD, PhD in Public Health, professor, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil; current president of Abrasco (Brazilian Association on Public Health), Brazil

Dra. María del Pilar Paz Román, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, México

Dr. V. Ramana Dhara, MD, ScD, MPH, Adjunct Clinical Professor, Morehouse School of Medicine & Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Dr. Rafael Díaz, MD, PhD, Preventive Medicine, Occupational Health Doctor, Spanish Public Health, Spain

DR ANA DIGON, Medica toxicóloga, Primera Cátedra de Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Prof. Dr. Hans Drexler, President of the German Society of Occupational and Environmental Health, Germany

Dr. Alan Ducatman, MS, MD, Professor of Public Health, Professor of Medicine West Virginia University, USA

Dr. med. Anke Dürholz, FÄ für Arbeitsmedizin, FÄ für Allgemeinmedizin, Germany

Dr. med. Gertrud Eggers-Biffar, Germany

Dr. David Egilman, MD, MPH., Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Brown University; Editor, International Journal of Occupational & Environmental Health, Attleboro, Mass., USA

Gerhard Elsigan, Ing.Mag., board member, Linz Academy of Occupational Medicine and Safety, Linz, Austria

Dr. med. Michael Emmerich, Head of Occupational Medicine Centre Hirschbach, Germany

Dr. Philipp Emmerich, medical doctor, working as a scientist at the Institute of Medical Informatics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany

Dr. med. Frank Ensslen, Internal Medicine specialist, Occupational Medicine specialist, Lübeck, Germany

Halvor Erikstein, Organisational Secretary / Certified Occupational Hygienist, SAFE – Norwegian Union of Energy Workers, Norway

Dr. Arch. John Martin Evans, PhD, Director of the CIHE SI FADU UBA – Habitat and Energy Research Centre, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Luiz Augusto Facchini, Medical Epidemiologist, Professor, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Pelotas; Counsellor, ABRASCO, Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva (Brazilian Association on Public Health), Brazil

Dr. Cathey E. Falvo, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair (retired), International Public Health, School of Public Health, New York Medical College, USA

Jean-Paul Flammarion, membre du comité d’hygiène, de sécurité et des conditions de travail (CHSCT), Changis sur Marne, France

Eduardo L. Franco, DrPH, FRSC, FCAHS; James McGill Professor and Chair, Department of Oncology; Director, Division of Cancer Epidemiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Dr. Giuliano Franco, MD, Professor of Occupational Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

Dr. Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD, Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini, Italy; Professor of Public Health, Drexel University, USA

Dr. Erica Frank, MD, MPH, Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of British Columbia; Founder, President, and Research Director, NextGenU.org, Canada

Thierry Frenot, spécialiste en prévention des risques professionnels, France

Dr. Gabriele Fröhlich, Arbeitsinspektionsärztlicher Dienst für Wien, Niederösterreich und Burgenland, Wien, Austria

Dr. med. Melanie Funk, Fachärztin für Arbeitsmedizin (Doctor of Occupational Health), Germany

Dr. Christine L. Gabel, DVM, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Internship Coordinator, and Lead Advisor, Environmental Public Health Program, Watershed Institute for Collaborative Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI, USA

Dr. Ray F. Garman, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Associate Professor, Vice-Chair, Associate Program Director, Residency in Occupational Medicine, Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, USA

Dr. Thomas H. Gassert, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA; Visiting Scientist, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, USA

Dr. Annette Gässler, Occupational physician, Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Valerio GENNARO, MD, PhD, Head Liguria Mesothelioma Registry (COR Liguria), IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino, National Cancer Research Institute (IST), Genova, Italy

Dr. Michael Gochfeld, MD, PhD, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA

David F. Goldsmith, PhD, Georgetown and George Washington Universities, Washington DC, USA

Dr. Brydon Gombay, community psychologist, Toronto, Canada

Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director, OK International, San Francisco, CA, USA

Dr Nadira Govender, Occupational Medicine Specialist, Occupational Health and Safety Unit, EThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa

Dr. Tee L. Guidotti, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FFOM, FCBOM, DABT, USA and Canada

Michel Guillemin, PhD, Emeritus Professor, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Karen Gunderson, MPH, CIH, CHMM, Industrial Hygienist, Developing World Outreach Initiative, American Industrial Hygiene Association, USA

Harmala Gupta, Founder-President, CanSupport, New Delhi, India

Rafael González Guzmán, Executive Secretary of ALAMES (Latin American Social Medicine Association); Professor of Public Health, Facultad de Medicina

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Richard Haffey, Mystic Air Quality Consultants, President and Training Director, Groton, Connecticut; member, Environmental Information Association, USA

Alastair Hay, PhD, OBE, Professor of Environmental Toxicology, Molecular Epidemiology Unit, LIGHT Laboratories, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

Dr. med. Lucas Heereman, occupational medicine, chemical industry, Germany

Dr. Birger Heinzow, MD, State Social Services Agency, Dept. for Healthcare, Environmental Health, Kiel, Germany

Dr. B. Henrich-Kruse, Occupational Health Physician, Bremen, Germany

Miguel Leal Hernández, Delegado Prevención, Confederación Sindical Unión General de Trabajadores de España – UGT, Spain

Dr. med. Lydia Hetterich, Medizinischer Dienst MED-Sw, Bosch Rexroth. Schweinfurt, Germany

Marc Hindry, professor, Université Paris Diderot, Paris 7, France

Mick Holder, CMIOSH, FRSPH, UK

David Holmes, MA, AFOH, Head of Scientific Services, Babcock International, UK; member, Workplace Health Without Borders, UK.

James Huff, PhD, Associate Director for Chemical Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina, USA

Moritz Hunsmann, PhD, Research Fellow in Public Health, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research on Social Issues (Social Sciences, Politics and Health), Paris Graduate School of Social Sciences (EHESS), France

Dr. Peter F. Infante, DrPH, DDS, Infante Consulting, LLC; former Director, Standards Review, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Asbestos Dispute Resolution Panel Scientific Expert, World Trade Organization, 1999-2000, USA

Dr. Abhijeet Jadhav, medical doctor, public health expert, occupational lung diseases; Assistant professor (to be confirmed), JTCDM, School of Habitat, Tata institute of social sciences (TISS), Deonar, Mumbai, India

Bengt Järvholm, Professor, consultant, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

Prof Mohamed F. Jeebhay, Director, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Paul Jobin, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Paris Diderot, France

Paul Joffe, international human rights lawyer, St-Lambert, Québec, Canada

Dr. med. Eckardt Johanning, MD, MSc, Albany, N.Y; member, International Commission on Occupational Health

Dr. Tushar Kant Joshi, FRCS, FFOM, Director, OEM Programme, Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India; Former Occupational Health Consultant, WHO India; Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini

Dr. Jessica Kellberger, MScPH, research associate, Germany

Dr. Noel Kerin, MD, MSc, FCBOM, CIME, Occupational Medicine, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), Canada

Dr. Kapil Khatter, MD, CCFP, MES, Past President, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada

Dr. Sunsik Kim, Special Researcher, Urban research Plaza, Osaka City University, Japan

Mary Koebler, COHN-S/CM, Coordinator, Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kraus, Institut für Arbeitsmedizin und Sozialmedizin, Uniklinik, RWTH Aachen, Germany

Dr. Vithaya Kulsomboon, Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (TBAN), Thailand

Dr. Joseph LaDou, MD, Emeritus Chair, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA

Roch Lafrance, counselor, Montreal’s Injured Workers Union (UTTAM), Québec, Canada

Dr. Margot Lakemeyer, occupational physician, Aachen, Germany

Alain Lambrechts, Docteur en Ecologie de l’Université de Provence (en retraite), militant politique et syndicaliste, Aix en Provence, France

Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, Dean for Global Health, Ethel H. Wise Professor and Chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Children’s Environmental Health Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA. President, Collegium Ramazzini

Dott.ssa Michelina Lauriola, Researcher, Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, Ramazzini Institute, Italy

Dr Jean-Michel Lauze, Médecin du Travail, Rousson, France

Dra. Rosa María Lazo Velarde, MD, Centro de Prevención de Riesgos del Trabajo – Centre for Prevention of Occupational Risks (CEPRIT-Lima), EsSALUD, Lima Perú

Dr. Christopher W. Lee, MD, FRCPC, Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer Agency, British Columbia, Canada

Stéphane Le Lay, Sociologue du travail, France

Dr. Richard A. Lemen, Ph.D., MSPH, Assistant Surgeon General (ret.), Rear Admiral, USPHS (ret.); Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini, Italy; Adjunct Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Blanca Lemus, PhD in Work Environment; Professor, University of Michoacan, Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico

Dr. Hellmut Lenaerts, MD, Occupational Medicine, Germany

Jean-Louis Lenoble, technicien méthodes, Comité d’hygiène, de sécurité et des conditions de travail (CHSCT), site VALEO, Reims, France

Charles Levenstein, Ph.D., M.S., Professor Emeritus of Work Environment University of Massachusetts Lowell; Professor of Epidemiology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Director of the Center for Environmental Health and Technology, Providence, RI, USA

Marianne Levitsky, MES, CIH, ROH, President, Workplace Health Without Borders, Canada

Philip Lewis, Camden UNISON Branch Health & Safety & officer; Board member, London Hazards Centre Trust; UNISON national Health and safety committee member (pc), UK

Heungkyu Lim, Ban Asbestos Network Korea, South Korea

Abby Lipmann, PhD, Professor Emerita, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Coline Loison, doctorante en histoire des sciences et la lutte contre le cancer, France

Leslie London, Professor of Public Health Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Sandra A. Lovegrove, President, Abel Publication Services, Inc. (retired) Formerly publisher of The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Frankllin, NC, USA

Mg. Anita Luján Gonzales, Enfermera, Magister en Economía de la Salud, Docente Universidad San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Perú

Robert Maklan, MES, CIH, CRSP, Director, Workplace Health Without Borders, Canada

Sônia Weidner Maluf, Anthropologue et professeure à l´Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil

Rattan Mall, Editor, Asian Journal, Vancouver, Canada

Dr Simon Mamuya, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Head of Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania

Patrick Mas, consultant sur les risques professionnels, formateur des représentants des personnels dans les CHSCT, France

Dr. Eike Maurer, MD, board certified as neurologist and psychiatrist, systemic coach, working in industrial and occupational medicine, Carl-Koth-Institut für Arbeitsmedizin, Erlangen, Germany

Dr. med. Michael H. Mayer, M.Sc., Facharzt für Arbeitsmedizin, CDMP, Betriebssicherheitsmanagement, Stuttgart, Germany

Dr. Melissa A. McDiarmid, MD, MPH, DABT, Professor, Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology & Public Health; Director, Occupational Health Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

Aristides Medard, Environmental Health Scientist, Occupational Hygienist; Regional Correspondent & Member, Workplace Health Without Borders (WHWB), Tanzania

Pierre Meriaux, Inspecteur du Travail, Appui-Ressources-Méthodes; élu écologiste au conseil régional Rhone-Alpes, Grenoble, France

Dr Philip Michael, Hon. Sec., Irish Doctors Environmental Association, Ireland

Dr. Kishor Mistry, MD, PhD, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH, Professorial Lecturer, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, School of Public Health & Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

Susana I. Mühlmann, Arquitecta Investigadora, CIHE SI FADU UBA – Habitat and Energy Research Centre, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Krishnendu Mukherjee, Advocate and Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers, London, UK

Prof. Dr. med. Rainer Müller, Public Health & Occupational Medicine, University of Bremen, Germany

Dr. V. Murlidhar, MSc (Groningen), MS (Bombay), Pneumoconiosis compensation board, TN trust, UK and Johns-Manville Trust, USA; Trauma surgeon, Mumbai, India

Dr Saloshni Naidoo, MBChB, FCPHM, MMed, PHD, Occupational Medicine Specialist, Discipline of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Dr. med. Thomas Nauert, Ministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Familie und Gleichstellung des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, Prävention und Arbeitsmedizin, Germany

Sam Noumoff, PhD, Associate Professor (retired), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Prof. Dr. med. Dennis Nowak, Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin, WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, Klinikum der Universität München, Germany

Dr. Iman Nuwayhid, MD, DrPH, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Dr. L. Christine Oliver, MD, MPH, MS, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; President, Occupational Health Initiatives, Inc., Brookline, MA, USA

Dr. Gilbert S. Omenn, MD, PhD, Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Rory O’Neill, Editor, Hazards magazine, England; Professor, Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, University of Stirling, Scotland

Dr. Peter Orris, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief of Service, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System, Chicago, IL, USA

Mg. Jaime Ortiz Bazán, Magister Salud Pública, Universidad Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), Lima, Perú

Dr. David Ozonoff, MD, MPH, Professor of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

Dr. Domyung Paek, MD, MSc, ScD, Professor, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Korea

Dra. Martha Edilia Palacios Nava, Professor researcher, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, México

Dr. Daniela Pelclova, MD, PhD, Professor of Occupational Medicine; Head, Department of Occupational Medicine, First Medical Faculty of the Charles University, Prague

Dr. Ursula Peschke, occupational health physician, Germany

Dr. Dennis Pocekay, MD, MPH, Asst Clinical Professor, Departments of Public Health Sciences & Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

Dr.med.Christoph Preu, Pneumologische Rehabilitation, Medizinischer Gutachter, Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Klinik Teutoburger Wald, Germany

Paco Puche, Ecologistas en Acción de Málaga, Spain

Anne Quantens, Ingénieure en électromécanique et conseillère en prévention niveau 1 (Safety engineer); CESI asbl (external service of prevention and protection at work), Belgium

Dr. S.V. Nadkarni, Ex. Dean L.T.M. Medical College, Sion, Mumbai, India

Patricia Mouysset, Docteur en chimie et toxicologie, Responsable du Département Risque Chimique, Toxicologique Intervenant Prévention Risques Professionnels; Certifiée amiante, France

Dr. Ramin Mehrdad, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Occupational Medicine, Center for Research on Occupational Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Dr. Anant Phadke, Co-convenor, Jan Aarogya Abhiyaan, member of the People’s Health Movement (PHM), working for the goal of Health and Health Care for All, Maharashtra, India

Dr. Shyam Pingle, Occupational Health Physician, India

Dr. Sadhana Prasad, BSc, MD, FRCP(C), FACP(Geriatrics), Internal Medicine/ Specialized Geriatrics; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics), McMaster University; Director and Founder, Centre for Bone Health, St. Mary’s General Hospital (SMGH) Kitchener, ON, Canada

Gyan Rajhans, P.Eng., CIH,ROH, former Chief Industrial Hygienist and District Manager, Ministry of Labour, Ontario; co-author, two books on asbestos and dozens of papers; President, GSR & Associates Inc., Canada

Dr. Armand Rajnoveanu, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Occupational Health Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Dr. Lawrence W. Raymond, MD, ScM, Director, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC; Professor of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA

Franck Refouvelet, Agent des lignes à France Télécom Orange; Représentant, Comité d’hygiène, de sécurité et des conditions de travail (CHSCT), France

Dr. med. Toni Reifferscheid, Head of Corporate Health / Werksärztlicher Dienst, Düsseldorf, Germany

Dr. med. Birgit Reimers, Consultant for Occupational Medicine, Free Consultant, Germany

Dr. David Rempel, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

Dr. Hugo Rengifo Cuellar, MD, Mg. Políticas Públicas; Presidente, Sociedad Peruana de Salud Ambiental. Lima, Perú

Antonio Bernardo Reyes, Technnical Architect, Health and Safety Consultant, Badajoz, Spain

Carol Rice, Ph.D., CIH, Professor Emerita, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Dr. Elihu D. Richter, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Hebrew University- Hadassah, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Center for Injury Prevention and EMF Program, Jerusalem Israel

DR. EDUARDO JORGE RODRIGUEZ, médico, Especialista en Medicina del Trabajo; Jefe del Programa Nacional de Salud del Trabajador de la Dirección Nacional de Determinantes de la Salud e Investigación; Coordinador de la Comision Asesora sobre el Asbesto Crisotilo, Ministerio de Salud de la Nacion, Argentina

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenkranz, Medicine of employment health, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe und Theodor Wenzel Werk, Berlin, Germany

Dr. Elke Rössner, medical doctor, specialist in internal medicine and pneumology, in advanced training in occupational health, Germany

Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A., Industrial Hygienist; President: Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.; Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE, New York, USA

Dunu Roy, Director, Hazards Centre, New Delhi, India

Dr. Klaus-Peter Saake, Leitender Werkarzt, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft K-SG-7 Gesundheitswesen, Salzgitter, Germany

Dr Habibullah Saiyed, Consultant to World Health Organization, South-East Asia Regional Office, on Occupational and Environmental Health; former Director, National Institute of Occupational Health (Indian Council of Medical Research), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Dr. Thilo Rick M. San, Magister des öffentlichen Gesundheitswesens, physician, medical specialist in occupational health and general medicine, environmental medicine, Neuss, Germany

Patricia Alejandra Huerta San Martin, Sociologist, Assistant Professor, University of Concepcion, Chile

Dr. Annie J. Sasco, MD, DrPH, Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Bordeaux University, France

Jens Udo Seelinger, Facharzt für Arbeitsmedizin, Facharzt für Allgemeinmedizin, Fronhausen, Germany

Dr. Naresh C. Shah, MBBS, AFIH, Manager – Health Department of Health (DoH), IN Unit, Valsad, Gujarat, India

Michael Sholinbeck, Assistant Head and Outreach/Instruction Librarian, Sheldon Margen Public Health Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

Ashok Shrimali, Setu centre for social knowledge and action, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Dr. Shyamsundar J. Raithatha, MBBS, MD- Community Medicine, Head, Extension Programmes Department, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, H M Patel Center for Medical Care and Education, Gujarat, India

Dr. Michael Silverstein, MD, MPH, Clinical Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, USA

Jas Singh, PhD, CIH, Past President, Academy of Industrial Hygiene; Past Director, American Board of Industrial Hygiene, USA

Dr. Allan H. Smith, MD, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology and Director, Arsenic Health Effects Research Program, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Dr. Colin L. Soskolne, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Fellow, Collegium Ramazzini, Italy; Fellow, American College of Epidemiology; Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia; twoterm Past-President, Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (2007- 2009, 2009-2011), Canada

Dr. Christian Späth, Facharzt für Arbeitsmedizin, Praxis für Arbeitsmedizin und Sicherheitstechnik, Göttingen, Germany

Olga Speranskaya, CoChair, IPEN (International POPS Elimination Network); Head of Eco-Accord Programme on Chemical Safety, Russia

Dr.med.Christine Stockbauer, Regierung von Mittelfranken, Gewerbeaufsichtsamt, Nürnberg, Germany

Dr. Barbara Stöger, Zentrum München, B.A.D Gesundheitsvorsorge und Sicherheitstechnik GmbH, München, Germany

Dr. Johanna Stranzinger, Doctor for Occupational Health, Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege Grundlagen der Prävention und Rehabilitation, Hamburg, Germany

Harald Szika, Facharzt für Arbeitsmedizin, Reisemedizin, TÜV SÜD Life Service GmbH, Gebiet Bayern SÜD, Munich, Germany

Dr. Ken Takahashi, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology Director of the International Center; Director of the WHOCC for Occupational Health, University of Occupational & Environmental Health, Kitakyushu City, Japan; President, Asian Association for Occupational Health

Dr. Tim K. Takaro, MD, MPH, MS, Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada

Nina Tarhouny, Chercheure-doctorante en Droit de la santé au travail, spécialisée dans les risques psychosociaux, Institut de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les enjeux sociaux, France

Benedetto Terracini, former professor of Cancer Epidemiology, University of Torino, Italy

Dr J. M. teWaterNaude, Medical Manager and Medical Specialist, Asbestos Relief Trust, South Africa

Annie Thébaud-Mony, PhD, Directeur de recherche honoraire à l’Inserm (National Institute for Health and Medical Research), Université Paris 13; Présidente de l’Association Henri Pézerat (Santé Travail Environnement); Porte parole de Ban Asbestos France

Professor Marina Thorborg, Södertörns Högskola, (University College), Huddinge, Sweden

Dr. Fernand Turcotte, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Dr. Stanley H. Weiss, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at the Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA

Joëlle Vailly, Senior Researcher, National Institute for Health and Medical Research, France

Dr. Aubree Van Mierlo, MD, MPH, Occupational Medicine Physician, USA

Laurent Vogel, Researcher, European Trade Union Institute

Dr Karel Van Damme, Reseacher at the Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Belgium; former president of the Belgian Compensation Fund for Occupational Diseases, Belgium

Dr Anita van der Walt, Honorary Research Associate, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa

John Van Raalte, MS, CIH, Occupational and Environmental Health Center of Eastern New York, Albany, NY, USA

Lic. Walter Varillas Vilchez, Soc. Docente Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Perú

Dr. Axel Wannag, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Labour Inspection Agency, Norway

Yvonne Waterman, Ph.D. LL.M., director, Waterman Legal Consultancy, The Netherlands

Dr. Virginia M Weaver, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Medicine; Director, Occupational & Environmental Medicine Training Program; Associate Faculty Member, Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University Division of Occupational & Environmental Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

Dr. Laura S Welch, MD, Medical Director, CPWR, Silver Spring, MD, USA

Dr. Ina Wiederhold, Workplace health promotion and occupational safety, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Land Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Vera Wienhausen-Wilke, Stadt Esslingen am Neckar, Rechtsamt – Arbeitsmedizinischer Dienst, Esslingen am Neckar, Germany

Dr. Josette Wier, MD, Smithers, BC, Canada

Jantje Wilken, Occupational Health Physician in Training, Bremen, Germany

Univ.-Prof. em. Dr. med. Hans-Joachim Woitowitz, Former Directo, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany

Dr. Jean Zigby, MD, Family Physician, Palliative Care Specialist; President, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada

 

THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS HAVE ENDORSED THE LETTER:

• Akila India Kattida Thozhilalar Madhiya Sangam, India
• All Himachal PWD and IPH Workers Union, India
• American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, USA
• Asangathit Karamchari Union, India
• Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), USA
• Asbestos Victims Association Andalucía, Spain
• Asbestos Victims Association Galicia, Spain
• Asbestos Victims Association Madrid, Spain
• Asbestos Victims Association Valladolid, Spain
• Asia Monitor Resource Centre – regional labour rights Non Governmental Organisation, Hong Kong
• Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health, South Korea
• Asian Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV), India
• Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva, ABRASCO – Public Health Association of Brazil
• Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
• Association de Défense des Victimes de l’Amiante du Golfe de Fos, France
• Association Henri Pézerat, France
• Association Nationale de Défense des Victimes de l’Amiante (ANDEVA), France
• Associazione Familiari Vittime Amianto, AFEVA (Asbestos Victims and Relatives Association), Italy
• A Walk to Remember Victims of Asbestos – Canada/USA. Leah Nielsen – Utah, USA
• Ban Asbestos France
• Ban Asbestos Network Korea, South Korea
• Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI), India
• Bandkam Mazdoor Sangathan, India
• Bangladesh Building & Wood Workers Federation (BBWWF), Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Free Trade Unions Congress (BFTUC), Bangladesh
• Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health & Environment Foundation (OSHE), Bangladesh
• Barrow Trades Union Council, UK
• Belgium Asbestos Victims Association (ABEVA), Belgium
• Bernie Banton Foundation, Australia
• Bhatha Mazdoor Sabha, India
• Bhawan Nirman Karmkar Mazdoor Union, India
• Bhopal group for information and action, India
• Bhopal gas peedit mahila stationery karmchari sangh, India
• Bhopal gas peedit nirashrit pension bhogi sangharsh morcha, India
• Bhopal gas peedit mahila purush sangharsh morcha, India
• Building and Woodworkers International
• Canadian Association of University Teachers / Association canadiennedes professeures et professeurs d’université, Canada
• Canadian Environmental Law Association, Canada
• Canadian Society for Asbestos Victims (CanSAV.ca), Canada
• Canadian Unitarians For Social Justice, Canada
• Canadian Voices of Asbestos Victims, Canada
• Center for Research on Occupational Diseases, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
• Children against Dow Carbide, India
• Construction, Forest, Brick Kiln & Wood Workers Union, India
• Council of Canadians, Canada
• Cumbria Asbestos Related Disease Support Group, UK
• Delhi Asangathit Nirman Mazdoor Union, India
• Delhi Jal Mal Kamgar Sangharsh Morcha, India
• Ecolife, Baku, Azerbaijan
• Environics Trust, India
• European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), Brussels, Belgium
• European Work Hazards Network
• Families Against Corporate Killers, UK
• Forest Wood and Building Workers Association, India
• German Victims Organisation, Germany
• Gujarat Forest Produces Gatherers and Forest Workers Union Adivasi, India
• Healthwatch Forum, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Hind Khet Mazdoor Panchayat, India
• Indian National Building, Construction, Forest and Wood Workers Federation, India
• Indian National Rural Labour Federation, India
• Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development from the Philippines
• Inta Bhattha Karamchari Union, India
• International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, UK
• International Campaign for Responsible Technology, USA
• International Society of Doctors for the Environment, Switzerland
• Karnataka State Construction Workers Central Union, India
• Kerala Kettida Nirmana Thozhilali Congress, India
• Korea Federation for Environmental Movement, Friends of the Earth, South Korea
• La Red de Acción sobre Plaguicidas y Alternativas en México (RAPAM) – Centro de Análisis y Acción en Tóxicos y sus Alternativas (CAATA), Mexico
• Liverpool Trades Union Council, UK
• La Déclaration de Berne, Switzerland
• London Hazards Centre, UK
• Mahanagar Asangathit Mazdoor Union, India
• Maharashtra Bandhkam Va Lakud Kamgar Sangathan, India
• Maharashtra Building Construction Forest and Wood Workers Congress, India
• Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, UK
• MiningWatch Canada
• National Union of Public and General Employees, Canada
• Nikhila Orissa Bidyut Sramik Mohasangha, India
• Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam, India
• Occupational and Environmental Health Network of India (OEHNI), India
• Occupational Health & Safety Association, India
• Ontario Humanist Society, Ontario, Canada
• Peoples Training & Research Center, India
• Prevent Cancer Now, Canada
• Nirman Mazdoor Sanghtna, India
• Northeast Asbestos Support & Awareness Group, UK
• Orissa Forest and Minor Forest Workers Union, India
• Orissa Kendupatra Karamchari Sangha, India
• Orissa Nirman Mazdoor Sabha, India
• Rajasthan Patthar Khan Evam Nirman Mazdoor Sangathan, India
• Rideau Institute, Canada
• RightOnCanada.ca, Canada
• Rural Workers Organisation, India
• Sambhavna Trust, India
• Scottish Hazards Campaign, Scotland
• SEWA Rural, Society for Education, Welfare & Action Rural, Bharuch, Narmada and surrounding districts, south Gujarat, India
• Shevaroys General Employees Union, India
• Shilpi Kendra, Silicocis Peedit Sangh, Madhya Pradesh, India
• Sierra Club Canada
• Syndicat national des mineurs CFDT, France
• Spanish Federation of Associations of Victims and Groups against Asbestos, Spain
• Tamil Maanila Kattida Thozhilalar Sangam, India
• Thamizhaga Kattada Thozhilalargal Mathiya Sangam, India
• The McLeod Group, Canada
• The South African Mesothelioma Interest Group, South Africa
• The People’s Health Movement Circle of Canada
• ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), India
• Trade Union Confederation of Workers´ Commissions, Spain
• Trade Union Confederation of General Workers Unions, Spain
• UK National Hazards Campaign, UK
• United Front for Rural, Plantation and Construction Workers, India
• Uttar Pradesh Gramin Mazdoor Sangathan, India
• Victims of Industrial Disease, Southwestern Ontario, Canada
• WECF International, Germany, France and Netherlands