Press Release

March 26, 2007
  • Health & Chemicals

Result of the Medical Data Examination for Acknowledgment of Designated Diseases under the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief

On March 26, the Minister of the Environment conducted a medical data examination for patients suffering from asbestos-related diseases in response to the requests filed by the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (ERCA) based on the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief.

Based on the examination, 41 patients were determined to have contracted a designated disease (32 as mesothelioma and 9 as lung cancer caused by asbestos)*, and 6 persons who died before the enforcement of this act were determined to have contracted lung cancer caused by asbestos*.
The Minister of the Environment will notify ERCA of the result.

* A cumulative total of those determined to have contracted designated diseases as defined by the act is 800 (628 as mesothelioma and 172 as lung cancer caused by asbestos), and a cumulative total of those determined to have contracted lung cancer caused by asbestos but have died before the enforcement of this act is 52.

For Japanese