Each year, the first Friday of July is recognised as ‘Action Mesothelioma Day’. Every year, Action Meso run this national campaign to raise awareness of the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, and the dangers of asbestos. It aims to bring together anyone affected by mesothelioma and remember those who have sadly lost their fight with the condition.
What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is an extremely aggressive cancer affecting the lining of the surface of the body’s organs. It most commonly affects the pleura; the lining of the lung, but can also be found in the abdomen, heart and testes. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to airborne asbestos dust. Unlike other asbestos-related conditions, it is possible to develop mesothelioma after low-level exposure to asbestos dust.
Mesothelioma has not yet peaked
Many years ago, when we started pursuing claims for asbestos disease compensation, it was thought that the rate of mesothelioma in the UK would peak in 2016. However, this has since been rebutted and the asbestos legacy is continuing far longer than anyone expected. The number is only increasing; in 2020, there was 2,533 deaths due to mesothelioma which is a 6% increase from 2019. Projections suggest that there could be around 2,400 new cases of mesothelioma every year in the UK by 2038 to 2040.
Raising awareness and taking action
We want to use this day to raise awareness of a petition that could have a huge impact on the incidence of mesothelioma in the future. The petition, which can be found here, advocates for the Government to commit to a central register that lists exactly where asbestos is located, and to plan for its safe removal over the next 40 years.
Currently, there are many buildings that still contain asbestos that have not been identified or flagged, including 80% of schools. All too frequently, we receive enquiries from people who have recently been exposed to asbestos working on or in these buildings. This could easily be avoided if there was a central register of asbestos which could be consulted before any work commences. As a result of this, workers may have been exposed to asbestos and as long as exposure continues, the risk of people developing asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, continues.
The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos and so stopping exposure is the only way to stop the disease. It is vital that the presence of asbestos in the UK is recorded and eventually removed in order to put an end to this aggressive disease and stop it from ruining people’s lives.
Sign and share
We will be encouraging all our employees to sign and share the petition, as well as sharing it on our social media platforms on Action Mesothelioma Day. We encourage those reading to sign the petition using the link above if they wish to do so.
Compensation claim
If you require assistance in pursuing an asbestos compensation claim for mesothelioma or any other asbestos disease, then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.
