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On October 20 & 21, 2026 campaigners from countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region gathered together at the 2026 conference of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The name of the event: “Seize the Momentum, Asbestos Ban Everywhere” aptly set the stage for what was to follow. According to colleagues who attended the conference, there was a high level of engagement by delegates with the presentations from ABAN colleagues from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Timor Leste, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, Fiji and Australia. More information to follow!
 
See: Conference Banner.

An October 20, 2026 upload detailed nine standards adopted by Ukraine for protecting the population from deadly asbestos exposures. The implementation of the new protocols for “collecting samples, testing construction materials and demolition debris for asbestos, and measuring the concentration of asbestos fibres in the air,” will more closely align Ukrainian practices with European requirements such as those stipulated in Directive 2009/148/EC on occupational asbestos protections. See: Ukraine adopts European-aligned asbestos standards to improve safety of demolition waste.

On October 19, 2026, Minister Sir Stephan Timms led a parliamentary debate regarding reforms to mesothelioma and dust-disease compensation. The official policy reforms were originally presented to Parliament in September 2026; on October 19 in a Parliamentary Debate Minister Timms introduced the draft regulations which would “ensure that eligible dependents and bereaved families receive equal lump-sum compensation matching the full sufferer rate, effectively closing a historical financial gap.” See: Draft Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026.

On October 20, 2026, a committee of South Africa’s Parliament told the Department of Education of their concerns regarding the remaining asbestos contamination of 1,000 schools in the Eastern Cape Province. The Committee Chairperson Makhi Feni pressed the Department for a commitment to urgently address the health hazard posed to children and staff by the asbestos roofing and eradicate the toxic material at the earliest possible opportunity. See: Parliamentary committee presses Department of Education over uneradicated asbestos in schools.

Despite the introduction of legislation designed to end the hazard posed by the historic use of asbestos-containing roofing, 20,000 buildings in Busan, South Korea continue to pose a public health risk. In the article cited below examples were provided of deteriorating asbestos roofing in several Busan neighborhoods. Commenting on the situation Moon Seong-jae, Director of the Asbestos Center at Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, said: “The best way to prevent asbestos-related diseases is to avoid exposure to asbestos.” See: 어린이집 앞 석면지붕 빼곡…소유주들 빈집 등 이유로 방치 [Asbestos roofs densely cover structures near a daycare center; owners leave them neglected, citing reasons such as the buildings being vacant].

Following public concerns over the health hazard posed to children and staff at Cascais Secondary School in the Portuguese city of Cascais, the local Council reported on October 19, 2026 that the remaining asbestos-containing material in the building would be removed on October 21, 2026. Increased safety measures would be put in place to prevent the liberation of asbestos fibers during the work. Most of the eradication work – which removed 80% of the toxic material in the school – was carried out previously. See: Câmara de Cascais retomou remoção de amianto na antiga escola secundária [Cascais City Council resumes asbestos removal at the former secondary school].

An insightful article by Linda Mujuru, which appeared in the October 17, 2026 issue of the online publication “The Continent,” questioned why asbestos roofing was still being produced and sold for domestic use in Zimbabwe while only asbestos-free substitutes were being exported. Asbestos production ceased in Zimbabwe in 2010. The country’s largest user of imported asbestos is Turnall Holdings: “about 53% of its current range contains the material.” Medical experts and union officials in Zimbabwe are aware of the health hazard and there is some support from the Cement, Lime and Allied Workers Union for a transition to safer materials. See: Banned Abroad, Safe for Home.

The Court of Lecce in the Apulia region of Italy last week ordered the Ministry of Defense to pay compensation of €138,000 (US$155,000) plus interest to the son of a sailor who died from pleural mesothelioma. The deceased had been exposed to asbestos during his service at the Taranto naval base and on board the ship Sagittario between 1958 and 1960. See: Amianto nella Marina Militare, condannato il Ministero della Difesa: 138 mila euro all’orfano di un militare napoletano [Asbestos in the Navy, the Ministry of Defense condemned: 138 thousand euros to the orphan of a Neapolitan soldier].

An article in the October 17th issue of The Times of India detailed current developments in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) in the wake of the asbestos scandal in Kymore. Questions were asked about the decision to send samples of potentially toxic soil from Kymore to the central laboratory of the MP Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) instead of testing them at the regional level. It was also reported that a private citizen had lodged a complaint with the MPPCB calling for an immediate investigation into the potential public and occupational health risks posed by asbestos contamination in Kymore and the surrounding area. See: MPs Kymore soil tests under scrutiny in asbestos case.

According to the Belgian Minister of Social Affairs Frank Vandenbroucke victims of environmental asbestos exposures may, by the end of 2026, be entitled not only to access compensation from the national Asbestos Fund but also via legal action against guilty parties. As the situation now stands, accepting a payment from the Fund prevents a claimant from bringing a court case. See: Hervorming Asbestfonds: aansprakelijkheid voor asbest reikt verder dan de asbestindustrie [Reform of the Asbestos Fund: liability for asbestos extends beyond the asbestos industry].

On October 16, 2026, during a discussion about an administrative asbestos audit of social welfare facilities in Jeju, South Korea, members of Jeju’s Provincial Council were told about widespread failures of compliance. According to Assemblyman Yang Young-soo, multiple municipal authorities had failed to carry out mandatory inspections of daycare centers, nursing homes and welfare facilities for the disabled. See: 제주 복지시설 석면 관리 부실·민간위탁 운영 허점 도마 [Poor asbestos management and private outsourcing loopholes in Jeju's welfare facilities are under scrutiny].

The text cited below is the 8th Report of Italy’s National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM) and is a result of extensive consultation among staff at regional operating centers and the National Mesothelioma Registry (ReNaM) of the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL). The aim of the new publication was to advance “scientific knowledge regarding asbestos-related diseases, support efforts to prevent all forms of exposure, and aid in the protection of those who have fallen ill, as well as their families.” See: Catalogo delle principali occasioni di esposizione professionale e non professionale ad amianto [List of the main occasions of professional and non-professional exposure to asbestos].

It was announced on October 16, 2026 that as a result of a collaboration of the United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and the Japanese Government, a new facility had been opened in Ukraine which had a transmission electron microscopy system that could detect asbestos contamination. The results of tests at the laboratory would “identify asbestos-containing materials at an early stage, assess associated risks, and inform decisions on safe demolition practices, the sorting, transportation, and disposal of contaminated debris, and determine whether other debris materials can be safely recycled.” See: Japan and UNDP open Ukraine’s first national laboratory for asbestos detection.

The case study referenced in the citation below detailed purchases from one of the world’s largest e-commerce platforms in November 2025 of items described as heat-resistant gloves for indoor and outdoor use. The gloves, which were made in China, were acquired by two independent purchasers in Italy at a cost of ~€14 (US$16) a pair. Analyses conducted by electron microscopy confirmed that the gloves “were made almost entirely of chrysotile asbestos.” There were no warning labels either on the packaging or online about the presence of asbestos. See: Bought Online for 14 Euros: Lab Tests Confirm Asbestos in Gloves Sold Across Borders.

On October 14, 2026 news was circulated about a landmark ruling, handed down by the Brazilian Labor Court, which sentenced Novelis do Brasil Ltda. – formerly owned by ALCAN (Aluminum Canada) – to pay to R$20 million (US$3.95m) for collective moral damages in a public civil action filed by the Labor Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT) over occupational asbestos exposures at the company's plant in Candeias, in the Salvador Metropolitan Region of Brazil. See: Novelis é condenada em R$20 milhões por expor trabalhadores ao amianto [Novelis fined R$20 million for exposing workers to asbestos].

An October 12, 2026 editorial highlighted the serious public health issues posed by asbestos in France 30 years after its use was banned. Due to the country’s deadly industrial and environmental asbestos legacy, strict regulations – such as those detailed in the “Asbestos Technical File” – were implemented to minimize occupational, domestic and environmental contamination. Despite these measures, however, the general public should, the author wrote, be vigilant; if asbestos was suspected, a specialist should always be contacted to undertake investigation or removal work. See: PARIS: Santé publique – L’amiante, un ennemi invisible et toujours present [PARIS: Public Health – Asbestos, an invisible and ever-present enemy].

For years, India’s domestic asbestos market was blessed by the government’s prioritization of economic growth and favorable fiscal policies, including a basic customs duty on asbestos imports of just 10%. Between 2020 and 2025 annual asbestos imports totaled 1,987,636 tonnes – making India the world’s largest asbestos consumer. Recent developments suggest that the favorable conditions which encouraged asbestos use for decades may be in jeopardy. Should India begin the transition to a safer technology, it will not only protect its citizens but also the wider world that will benefit from the collapse of a deadly industry reliant on sales to Indian consumers. [Read full article]

In recent weeks there has been an outpouring of media coverage in the UK and India about the elevated incidence of asbestos-related diseases and the extensive asbestos pollution in Kymore, India. June Hancock and Nirmala Gurung were proof of the deadly consequences of the gross misconduct carried out by the global brand which ran the factory. Following their asbestos diagnoses, both woman campaigned to hold the guilty British company – Turner & Newall Ltd. – to account. As this controversy rages on in the National Human Rights Commission of India and the State legislature of Madhya Pradesh, we pay tribute to these two extraordinary women: June and Nirmala. [Read full article]

On September 12–14, 2026, there was a dynamic and fruitful collaboration between South Korean and Japanese asbestos activists during which news of current developments was exchanged, information about the unmet needs of victims shared and colorful events mounted to highlight the ramifications of national asbestos legacies. Commenting on the solidarity exchange, organizer Yeyong Choi – Director of Asian Citizens’ Center for Environmental Health (Eco-Health), South Korea – said: “The only way change will come is for the victims’ voices to be heard not only at the grassroots but at the very highest levels of government. With solidarity comes progress. The struggle continues.” [Read full article]

After many twists and turns, adjournments, hearings, postponements and reversals, Brazil’s asbestos ban was upheld last week at the highest level. On September 18, 2026, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous verdict in litigation concerning a Goiás State law (2019) which allowed asbestos mining to continue – for export purposes only – in contravention of a national prohibition put in place in 2017 by the Court. Pursuant to the confirmation that the asbestos ban was inviolable and absolute, the Goiás law was declared unconstitutional. With the annulment of the state exemption for asbestos mining, the chrysotile asbestos mine operated by Sama Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of Eternit, S.A., will be closed. [Read full article]

One lesson that every ban asbestos activist learns is the need for patience. There is no timetable for success and there are long periods when nothing seems to happen. This summer, however, was not one of them. Online reports over recent weeks indicated a seismic shift in the global asbestos debate. Even in countries where asbestos use remains legal, steps are being taken to reveal the human consequences and national costs incurred by the use of this outdated and deadly technology. As clearly shown by global asbestos trade data, consumers are increasingly choosing safer alternatives. In 2025, asbestos output was 960,000 tonnes, ~20% of the 1980 total. However you look at it, the industry is on a downward trajectory. The end cannot come soon enough. [Read full article]

India is the largest importer and user of asbestos in the world. Despite the ferocious lobbying by the asbestos sector, change is coming with the introduction of partial bans and the imposition of restrictions. Pursuant to a 2025 judgment of India’s National Green Tribunal, the Central Pollution Control Board launched a public consultation for the creation of guidelines for the “Installation, Dismantling and Disposal of Asbestos Cement Roofing Sheets, Asbestos Cement Wall Sheets and Asbestos Cement Pipes.” The deadline for submissions is September 17, 2026. [Read full article]

On September 8, 2026, NYC Mayor Mamdani told a press conference that 68 boxes of evidence detailing “what the city knew about toxic air around ground zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability” had been found. In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Mayor announced that an online portal had been created with 170,000+ documents from the hidden archive. More documents will be uploaded in the coming months. Speaking at City Hall, the Mayor said: “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.” Asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” in the vicinity of ground zero; 10 months after the attack, health officials reported finding asbestos half a mile away from the site. [Read full article]

Dr Gregory Deleuil lived life to the full. He made the most of every chance to connect, assist and enjoy opportunities as they presented themselves. He was a medical practitioner who never lost the human touch and was often called upon by patients to translate into ordinary language the jargon transmitted by pulmonary and cancer specialists. He was trusted by his patients and their families who often became personal friends. He was an easy man to love and my whole family did so with gusto. When my son got ill with pneumonia in Perth, Greg treated him. When my daughter invited him to her wedding, he was there at the top table. We loved him to bits. This love will endure long after his passing. The world is a greyer and sadder place without him. [Read full article]

A recent entry on the schedule for Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) revealed that a national asbestos litigation saga may finally be heading towards a resolution. After many setbacks, postponements and interruptions, the STF may be in a position to issue its judgment regarding the unconstitutionality of a Goiás State law which contravened a 2017 STF ruling outlawing the asbestos industry. Campaigners expressed “cautious optimism” that the contentious legislation will be quashed due to the advent of a new Goiás industry: the mining of the magnetic rare earths – neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium – at the Pela Ema mine in Minaçu, Goiás. [Read full article]

The launch in the Philippines of the National Framework for the Prevention of Asbestos-Related Diseases last month marked “a milestone moment” in the national campaign to end asbestos mortality. Rejecting disinformation and propaganda spread by asbestos vested interests, the actions outlined in the Framework accepted the fundamental tenet that: “there's no safe level of asbestos exposure, and tackling it takes everyone working together, not just one agency acting alone.” The comprehensive roadmap delineated at the July event by the Philippine Department of Health was supported by representatives from the government, unions, industry, health agencies and international organizations in attendance. [Read full article]

A Tribunal in New Zealand handed down a ruling on August 17, 2026 holding Kmart – a major toy retailer in Australasia – to account for all the costs incurred by consumers who purchased asbestos-contaminated toys sold by Kmart in Christchurch. As a media statement from Consumer NZ, an independent consumers’ advocacy group, explained: “this is the first Disputes Tribunal ruling in New Zealand concerning the recalled children’s sand.” The Tribunal found that the play sand was “unsafe, not fit for purpose and not of acceptable quality under the Consumer Guarantees Act.” We believe that this is the first such ruling anywhere which ordered a company to pay for decontamination of a claimant’s home and garden as well as other related costs. Thank you to Consumer NZ for permission to upload this text. [Read full article]

Powerful political forces are aligning in Indonesia to support grassroots efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard from southeast Asia’s largest asbestos-consuming country. Following shortly after the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a warning about the cancer hazard posed by the use of asbestos roofing, a statement was released by the Central Statistics Agency which categorized houses with asbestos roofs as “uninhabitable” because they did not meet building durability criteria and posed a health risk. The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Environment strongly recommend that asbestos-free roofing should be used to protect Indonesians from toxic exposures to an acknowledged carcinogen. [Read full article]

A coalition of civil society groups representing asbestos victims, occupational health and safety campaigners and medical experts from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Australasia is delighted to announce the winners of The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat Children’s Champions Award 2026. All of the people and organizations recognized were “accidental activists” who were drawn into a critical situation not of their making. Individually and collectively they demanded answers about sales of potentially damaging children’s products in New Zealand and Australia. By so doing, they protected the lives of children at home and abroad. As UK campaigner Lynne Squibb said “The world is a safer place for the actions of Elle, David, Benjamin, Terri-Ann, Michael, Robert, Jason and their colleagues.” [Read full article]

With the interconnectivity facilitated by contemporary means of communication, news about the contamination of children’s toys broadcast in late 2025 in New Zealand and Australia reverberated around the world in a matter of days. The discoveries which led to the global alert set off a chain reaction which resulted in recalls of toxic toys in multiple jurisdictions. For the first time, the story of how a few routine tests in a Brisbane laboratory led to international outrage, consumer mobilization and political confusion is recounted by those involved. I’m in no doubt that you’ll be able to see it in a Netflix miniseries before too long, but in the meantime you can read all about it here. [Read full article]

Opposition is growing in India – the world’s biggest asbestos market – to it’s massive use of a mineral classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. In 2024, 98,000 people in India died from lung cancer, a disease caused not only by smoking but also by exposures to asbestos and other toxins. Of course, lung cancer is not the only disease caused by asbestos exposures and there is no doubt that if the authorities investigate, they will find increasing numbers of patients with mesothelioma, cancers of the larynx and ovaries, asbestosis and pleural thickening. The data on the explosion in lung cancer incidence should be a wakeup call for Indian civil society and national regulators. The time has come for asbestos use to be phased out – it is a matter of life and death. [Read full article]

Whilst researching an article entitled: Report from the Asbestos Frontline: Summer 2026, I was astonished to see the widespread availability via online retail portals of products containing large amounts of asbestos, in some cases as much as 100%. Further investigations by colleagues in Malaysia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Indonesia and India, revealed a dizzying array of high-content asbestos material on sale in many Asian and East European countries. Despite the known risks posed by the use of products containing a group 1 carcinogen, there were no health hazard warnings visible in the advertisements. [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

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