Decades after South Africa banned asbestos mining, former miners continue dying from mesothelioma and other long-term effects of exposure. According to new University of Cape Town research, those working in the deadly industry experienced an overall mortality 4% higher than the general population. Notably, mortality among women who worked in the asbestos mines was 17% higher than that of their unexposed peers.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Diseases are Killing South African Miners Years After Exposure
The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, examined the incidence of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases and overall mortality trends among over 11,000 former asbestos miners. Reflecting the often-overlooked realities of women’s labor in the asbestos industry, researchers found that women faced particularly severe health consequences,
South Africa once dominated the global asbestos market, producing nearly all the world’s amosite asbestos and about 97% of the dangerous form of asbestos known as crocidolite, which has been blamed for many mesothelioma deaths. At its peak, asbestos mining provided jobs for tens of thousands of workers, but that employment, with its high levels of airborne asbestos fiber exposure, proved deadly. Asbestos mining and use were banned in 2008, but its health consequences are continuing today.
Mesothelioma Study Analyzed Occupational History, X-Rays, and More
The study used records from the Asbestos and Kgalagadi Relief Trusts collected between 2004 and 2023, and analyzed occupational histories, chest X-rays, spirometry tests, and compensation records of former miners who’d sought medical evaluation for asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma. According to researcher Dr Yumna Williams-Mohamed, a registrar in occupational medicine at the University of Cape Town, “Asbestos-related disease remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, with most individuals only identified when they present to health services with advanced disease,” including late-stage mesothelioma. The findings indicate deep structural failures in surveillance, compensation, and occupational healthcare in post-apartheid South Africa.
Under the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act, former miners are entitled to regular medical exams, but because there’s no national system requiring surveillance of former asbestos workers, most of those who end up with mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases aren’t diagnosed until their symptoms become severe, leading to the true impact of the mining industry being significantly underestimated. Notably, women who worked aboveground, manually breaking asbestos rock, as well as family members who experienced secondary exposure from washing asbestos-contaminated clothing at home, are among those most affected.
If you or someone you love worked in an occupation at risk for asbestos exposure and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Call us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
