Chrysotile asbestos and health in Zimbabwe: I. Analysis of miners and millers compensated for asbestos-related diseases since independence (1980)

Data on the health effects caused by locally mined chrysotile asbestos in Zimbabwe have been very limited. The prevailing local view has been that risk is minimal. In this report we critically reassess the cases of 51 individuals with asbestos exposure who have been compensated by the Central Pneumoconiosis Bureau since independence in 1980. Results demonstrate that the major health risks of exposure reported elsewhere--morbid asbestosis, nonmalignant pleural disease, malignant mesothelioma, and lung cancer--all occur in Zimbabwe, at least among workers in the asbestos mines and mills. It is concluded that further investigation and control measures in the industry are warranted.