With the support of Australia in Laos, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has put up a billboard in front of the Australian Embassy in Laos to highlight the dangers of asbestos.
In Laos, asbestos is often used in construction, particularly for housing for the poor. There are multiple factories that manufacture roof sheeting in Luang Prabang, Vientiane Province,
Champasack and Vientiane Capital. The standards for managing raw asbestos are often poor, including manual handling of the fiber and no safe storage or waste management, meaning workers and communities within a 2 km radius of the factories are at risk of exposure.
Although APHEDA has been campaigning to increase awareness among workers,
communities, students, and government officials about the risks of asbestos, there is still a lack of awareness of the need for safe storage or safe removal of old decaying asbestos, which is commonly broken up and reused for road maintenance, water storage tanks and animal pens.
APHEDA is committed to continue to support local partners to eliminate asbestos-related
diseases in Laos as well as in the region and the world.
APHEDA receives support for our asbestos project from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program.
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