Asbestos is a potential carcinogen: Vietnam needs to ban its use.

According to data from the US Geological Survey, Vietnam is one of the top 10 countries in the world that uses the most asbestos.i.

On the morning of July 17th, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly organized a scientific workshop on "Asbestos and Health." At the workshop, many experts affirmed that Vietnam is one of the top 10 countries in the world that uses the most asbestos. Banning the use of asbestos is the most effective way to eliminate diseases related to this substance.

Vietnam is one of the top 10 countries in the world that uses the most asbestos (Photo: batdongsan.com.vn)

At the workshop, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long stated: The WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer recommend that asbestos is a substance with the potential to cause cancer and lung diseases. Asbestos is a toxic substance on the list of substances requiring strict occupational safety and hygiene standards.

The Ministry of Health has issued a Circular guiding the management of occupational hygiene, workers' health, and occupational diseases, including asbestos-related diseases, which have been included in the List of Occupational Diseases Covered by Insurance in Vietnam since 1976... In the long term, the use of asbestos should be banned to eliminate diseases related to this substance.

According to data from the US Geological Survey, Vietnam is one of the top 10 countries in the world that uses the most asbestos. Since 2000, Vietnam has imported an average of over 60,000 tons of asbestos annually, with over 95% used in the production of asbestos-cement roofing sheets.

According to VOV.VN