Asbestos Training Workshop For The Philippines, 10 – 12 July 2019

An ADRI team led by Ken Takahashi, ADRI Director, returned this week from conducting an asbestos training workshop in Manila from the 10-12 July 2019. The workshop was sponsored by The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and delivered by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute in association with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The three-day workshop provided the unique opportunity for members of the ADRI team to convene with international representatives from varying training backgrounds/disciplines to share expertise aimed to advance the Philippines capacity to detect, diagnose and treat cases of asbestos-related disease, with particular emphasis on mesothelioma.

Eight ADRI team representatives; Director Ken Takahashi, Dr Yuen Yee Cheng, Dr Kenneth Lee, Dr Anthony Linton, Dr Matthew Soeberg, Dr Ben Johnson, Mrs Jocelyn McLean and Ms Ari Yuen presented a series of informative presentations relating to the epidemiology, molecular biology, research practice, pathological diagnosis, clinical treatment, patient care and industrial hygiene perspective of mesothelioma.

The main purpose of these presentations was to elicit an awareness of mesothelioma within the Philippines community in the hope that they will utilise this knowledge to facilitate an improved, multi-disciplined and collaborative response to combat the rising incidence in mesothelioma cases.

The workshop was successful in terms of advertising ADRI’s firm stance on the global elimination of asbestos use and asbestos-related disease; as well as further expanding ADRI’s valuable networks with international collaborators, which will no doubt be long-standing and valuable connections.