Mesothelioma Mortality Statistics UK

Cancer (Mesothelioma, Asbestosis etc.)

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have published updated statistics on mesothelioma mortality by geographic region in the UK. The Updated mesothelioma statistics press release which cover 1981 - 2000 show that the highest mesothelioma mortality rates are West Dumbartonshire, Barrow-in-Furness, Plymouth, Portsmouth and South Tyneside - areas associated with asbestos exposure through shipbuilding. HSE statistician Damien McElvenny explained,

"The statistics relate to the period 1981-2000 and generally reflect asbestos exposure in the 1970s and earlier decades."

"These results may also reflect a weakening of the effect of specific high-risk activities of the past, such as shipbuilding, railway engineering, and asbestos product manufacturing, as other sources of exposure have developed more recently across a wider range of areas as a result of building maintenance and asbestos removal work."

Women tend to have significantly lower mortality rates than men through mesothelioma.

"The areas with the highest mesothelioma mortality rates for women were Barking and Dagenham (associated with asbestos product manufacturing), Sunderland (shipbuilding and manufacturing), and Blackburn with Darwen (gas mask manufacturing during the war). These results are less reliable than those for the males, since they are based on fewer deaths."
Further information is available on the HSE factsheet [PDF]

Posted by Paul at October 13, 2003 01:06 AM |