Britain remains the epicenter of mesothelioma incidence in Europe, as the country represents the highest age-adjusted mortality rate in the world, with 18.36 per million people. Australia ranks second highest in the world, with an incidence rate of 16.7 per million people. The countries with the most diagnoses of mesothelioma include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Malta, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. Countries with mesothelioma registries can investigate and respond to current scientific and legislative needs associated with mesothelioma incidence and mortality.
Countries with high rates of mesothelioma incidence include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Malta, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand which, with the exception of New Zealand, have banned asbestos. Although health problems have led more than 50 countries to restrict or ban the use of asbestos since the early 1970s, others continue to extract and consume the toxic mineral in alarming amounts. Peak incidence and mortality in countries without limited resources were expected to occur before 2030.30 In 1995, Peto et al9 estimated that the mortality rate from mesothelioma could continue to increase for 25 years. ASIR declined in most countries after a complete ban on the use of asbestos, and there was a temporary increase in ASIR shortly after the asbestos bans in some countries, followed by a continuous decline thereafter.
Increased knowledge and better regulations since the early 1980s, with restrictions or prohibitions on the production and use of asbestos in many developed countries, have led to decreased exposure, particularly in the occupational environment. However, in some countries that imposed a short-term ban on asbestos, such as Brazil and Australia, cases of mesothelioma continued to increase (Figure 2; Figure 11 of the Supplement). Hoping to minimize the harmful effects of asbestos worldwide, many countries have voted to add chrysotile asbestos to the Convention's list of hazardous substances The findings of the current study revealed that global incident cases and deaths associated with mesothelioma increased steadily during the period of study, while temporal trends differed between countries. The highest incidence rates of mesothelioma are reported in some countries in Europe (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Malta, Belgium) and in Oceania (Australia, New Zealand).
Five of the six types of asbestos are on the list of hazardous substances, but some countries argue against scientific consensus and claim that chrysotile can be used safely.
