21 February 2007

2nd Annual Mesothelioma Action Day

On 27 February the second annual Mesothelioma Action Day will be celebrated across the UK. Created and sponsored by the British Lung Foundation, the day aims to raise awareness of mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

The UK has the largest mesothelioma per capita rate in the world and recently experts predicted that total deaths could top 120,000 over the next few decades.

The disease can develop up to 60 years after exposure to asbestos and because of the latency period it is expected that the number of UK cases will rise annually until 2015.

The campaign also promotes the Mesothelioma Charter submitted to Downing Street last year. The 15-point charter calls for better treatment, employee protection, and more funding for research. It was publicly presented on February 27th, 2006 with more than 14,000 signatures marking the beginning of the Mesothelioma Action campaign.

This year a parliamentary reception will be held featuring local and national lawmakers in addition to regional events hosted by asbestos support groups.

To view the mesothelioma charter, visit the British Lung Foundation's website