17:00 - 19:30, International Conference Hall
Plenary Session 3
Empowerment of Victims and Their Families
Chairs: Natori Yuji and Annie Debaud-Mony
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Kazunori Uekusa
Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Disease Victims and their Families, Japan
ABSTRACT:
[About our society]
'Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Disease Victims and their Families' is a nationwide group of patients and their families of asbestos-related diseases such as, malignant pleural mesothelioma, malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, malignant pericardial mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, benign asbestos pleuritis and diffuse pleural thickening and so on.
Before the foundation of the association on the 7th February 2004, several victims and their families felt alone. As of the August 15th, 44 members and 31 supporters are registered.
[About patients]
Condition of each patient is various.
Some are still fighting against disease during several years.
But others already passed away during a half year, unfortunately. There are many ways of medical treatments : operations for the removal of whole the lung or part of pleural, dosage of anticancer drugs, and folk remedies including supplements.
Sufferers enter the hospitals, go to outpatient department, use palliative care and stay their homes.
The age of victims is getting younger and they are 30's and 40's.
Asbestos exposure is mainly happened in job places like construction sites.
However, non-occupational and environmental exposures are also found.
[Actions of Association]
Telephone counseling about cure of illness and application for insurances is main activity.
Publishing periodical news and homepage are tools for information.
And, a couple of meetings are held in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
We researched about real lives of victims and their families in June and demanded administrative improvement to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in August.
For example, we asked about health check systems, clear diagnosis of mesothelioma, future treatments for mesothelioma, payments for folk remedies, workers' accident compensation insurance and existed asbestos.
We were not satisfied with their vague answers but participants asked many questions keenly.