Asbestos-related lung disease among women in the Northern Province of South Africa : research article
2001
Asbestos has been mined in South Africa for over 100 years but the
health consequences for people living in rural areas have not been
adequately addressed. A study of 770 women who had worked in
the asbestos mines in the Northern Province of South Africa
between 1929 and 1992 was carried out to determine the prevalence
of asbestos-related disease. None of the women had been examined
since leaving the mines. A clinical diagnosis of pleural
and/or parenchymal asbestosis was made in 741 (96.2%) women.
Radiological evidence of tuberculosis, or a history of previous
treatment, was found in 58 (7.5%). The high prevalence of
asbestosis is attributed to the high levels of amphibole dust exposure
and the long residence time of the dust in the lungs. There is a
large, unrecognized burden of asbestos-related lung diseases
among women in rural areas of South Africa who have worked on
asbestos mines. Urgent steps are needed to deal with the health
and economic consequences of asbestosis in rural communities.
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