NSW Mesothelioma Register
As the strange asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma began turning up in the population, public health doctors in Sydney began to compile a register of cases in an attempt to pinpoint what was causing it. Here you can listen to the experiences of Dr. Ashraf Grimwood, who researched in the early stages of the Mesothelioma Register.
Dr. Grimwood’s experience with asbestos began in South Africa, where he witnessed the enormous occupational hazards it presented to local workers there. Even members of his own family were routinely exposed to asbestos through their various occupations. For him asbestos exposure was a human rights issue to do with the way workers were treated at their workplace.
As part of his studies, and subsequently as a consultant, Dr Ashraf Grimwood worked with Professor David Ferguson and Dr Rebecca Thomson on the newly established Mesothelioma Register. This involved interviewing sufferers and relatives of those who had fallen victim to the disease in an attempt to trace the pattern of exposure.
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Many people believe asbestos has been neutralised with the end of mining and manufacturing, but according to Dr Grimwood, it remains a threat to health, buried as it is within Australia’s homes.
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Click here to listen>>