Impact of Asbestos-Related Toxicity on Italian Working Population: Preliminary Incidence Data from the Last 5 Years across the Whole Country

Abstract

During the last years Italy showed an overall decreasing tendency of asbestos-related diseases, following the general trend happening in all the high-income countries because of the ban of the asbestos compounds. There is significant distribution gradient between northern and southern Italian provinces. Further studies could be aimed at investigating whether this gradient is attributable to a real gap in incidence, due to the highest industrialization process affecting Northern Italy, or to an underreporting phenomenon in the South. Therefore, a detailed surveillance of the problem, for instance by case finding methods, could be an effective tool to assess new emerging cases. Identifying workers at risk would indeed allow public health servants to manage large-scale primary, secondary and tertiary prevention programs targeted on occupational risks.