Campaign for National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease in UK
Several bodies in the UK have been campaigning for better research in the area of asbestos related diseases, especially mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the lining of the lungs, caused by asbestos.
Mesothelioma is a widespread disease in the UK, which leads to the death of approximately 2000 patients each year. However, the government is yet to show any interest in research and development in this area. In fact, most of the research is done by the charities with the help of voluntary donors, which is not sufficient.
In an attempt to awaken the government towards the need to finance such research, Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund submitted a petition to Prime Minister Brown with signatures of 24,000 members of the public. They demand the establishment of a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease (NCARD), which would be a virtual centre to fund research, with the investment of £7million.
Chris Knighton, who handed the petition on behalf of the organisation, stressed the need for quick action in the face of an increasing number of victims of asbestos related diseases. The number of deaths caused by mesothelioma is expected to keep increasing until 2015.
Knighton said that government funding was critical to advance our knowledge of asbestos related diseases and to discover effective cures. This centre would ensure channelling of funds to the right organizations and would also improve coordination between researchers. Moreover, increased funding will ensure that more researchers join this area.
Make sure that your company is not in the dark when it comes to new health and safety regulations. The other way to keep up-to-date is to make sure that you take advantage of the fire warden training services operated by reputable companies such as Workplace Law.
