Deliver us from asbestos, oh govt

Parents take their children to schools to acquire education in order to secure a brighter future.   These schools ideally should be a safe environment were teachers can impart knowledge to students. However, some of these schools still have buildings roofed using cancer-causing asbestos. These roofs were erected for a noble cause of sheltering teachers and learners from sunshine and keeping out the rain. But they are a danger that should be taken down immediately and replaced with ironsheets.

    Several buildings at police, prisons and army barracks also have asbestos that are slowly killing members of the armed forces, their family members and those who have the misfortune of frequently being in these buildings or their vicinity.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), asbestos causes lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and ovary, and asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs).

   WHO says exposure to asbestos occurs through inhalation of fibres in air in the working environment, ambient air in the vicinity of point sources such as factories handling asbestos, or indoor air in housing and buildings containing friable (crumbly) asbestos materials.

     Large-scale use of asbestos began in the 19th century. Manufacturers and builders were attracted to its physical properties such as flexible fibers, resistance to heat, electricity and corrosion.

    Many buildings in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and early 70s were roofed using asbestos, with people oblivious to the dangers this posed to the occupants of these buildings.

   However, their eyes were opened when cases of mesothelioma began to skyrocket in the late 1970s and health experts linked this to asbestos exposure.

     Since then, 56 countries around the world have banned asbestos.

     The government has made half-hearted attempts to remove asbestos from schools, barracks of armed forces and other public buildings.

     The dangers of exposure to asbestos are well known and scientifically proven. We call upon the government to stop dragging its feet on this issue of national importance.

     This matter should be treated with the urgency it deserves because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. It is detrimental to the nation to have a big percentage of its citizens sick because of failure by the government to do its duty.

   This is because a lot of money that could have been used to build infrastructures, spur economic growth and improve citizens’ livelihoods is diverted to treat avoidable ailments.

    Besides, sickly people spend less time working, meaning the more sickly people a country has, the less work done and this leads to economic retardation.

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