Asbestos Materials Management and Associated Risks: Global and Regional Perspectives with a Focus on Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background: The yearly worldwide average use of asbestos recently reached 2,000,000 tons. It is also reported that one person dies for every 20 tons of asbestos produced and consumed. With much unrecorded and unreported about asbestos, its management and poor public awareness still demand attention, especially in the developing world.  The objective of the current study was to review the current global, regional, and national status of asbestos use and conduct a quantitative survey on local asbestos applications and the associated public and environmental health issues, thereby providing the latest evidence of the magnitude of asbestos-related problems, the use, and implications.  Method: A mixed cross-sectional study consisting of a survey in Ethiopia and a desk review of global and regional data was employed. This study explores asbestos use trends; asbestos-related occupational health concerns and related awareness developments, quantitative and regulatory asbestos contexts, with emphasis on Ethiopia. Data collected in an Excel sheet were analyzed and compared, presented, and discussed.     Results: Though asbestos use is banned in many countries, including four in Africa (Mozambique, South Africa, Egypt, and Gabon), it is still in use by many other nations for various civil work applications, with some 2,030,000 tons being consumed annually. Ethiopia imported around 554 tons of asbestos materials in 2015, and no strong evidence on regulatory and guiding documents exists. In addition to occupational exposure to asbestos-related morbidity and mortality, community exposure appears rather alarming, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. In this regard, asbestos banning and the standard of practice of its removal are widely unequal between developed and developing nations.  In some developing nations, the use of asbestos is still prevalent, particularly in the construction industry. Regulations and enforcement of asbestos bans may be less stringent, leading to higher exposure levels among workers and the general population. Conclusion: There is a continued use of asbestos by many developing nations, despite limited awareness of its public and environmental health impacts and poor management, especially in Africa. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2025; 39(2)] Keywords: asbestos; asbestos cement materials; asbestosis; carcinogenic