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Using asbestos has been discouraged in Nepal,as the World Health Organisation has
stated that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, said Jaya Ram Lamichhane, ex-president
of the Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal. Asbestos is largely used in roofing in
Nepal and is mostly used in traditional buildings.
The Centre for Public Health and Environmental Development, an NGO, which has
been lobbying to ban asbestos, welcomed the governments move and said it would help protect
human health, as well as environment from negative consequences of asbestos. According to
CEPHED, records at the Department of Customs show that Nepal imported about 1,195 tonnes
of asbestos for use in construction work in the fiscal year 2012-13 itself.
Where found or where used
Older products such as stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds. Walls and floors
around wood burning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement
sheets. Asbestos is found in some vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and
adhesives. It was used in such applications as electrical insulation for hotplate wiring and
in building insulation. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibers are often
mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats.
Asbestos: elimination of asbestos-related diseases
Eliminating asbestos-related diseases is particularly targeted at countries still using
chrysotile asbestos, in addition to assistance in relation to exposures arising from historical
use of all forms of asbestos.
WHO,
in
collaboration
with
the
International
Labour
Organization
and
other
intergovernmental organizations and civil society, works with countries towards elimination of
asbestos-related diseases in the following ways:
by providing information about solutions for replacing asbestos with safer substitutes
and developing economic and technological mechanisms to stimulate its replacement;
by improving early diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation services for asbestosrelated diseases;
Potential Health Hazards
Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause cancer and other diseases, such as:
asbestosis
o
mesothelioma
o
lung cancer
o
There are no significant health risks if materials containing asbestos in your home are:
isolated in an attic
left undisturbed
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