A national Mesothelioma Awareness Day could mark the beginning of a more rigorous campaign aimed at curbing the disease’s impact in America and across the world. The motion, proposed and championed with the support of the Mesothelioma Research Foundation, was introduced as H. 771 by Representative Betty McCollum and Senator Patty Murray. The bill is currently foundered in the bureaucratic process, but while it awaits review by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, hopes remain high.
The proposed first annual National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, slated for the 26th of September, 2010, will serve as the core of activist efforts regardless of whether the bill is actually passed in time. The Mesothelioma Research Foundation, more commonly known as the Meso Foundation, will be in New York on the 26th for the taping of the Today Show, and will be displaying ads in the massive, coveted display windows of the 10 Rockefeller building during that same week.
The Meso Foundation doesn’t have all of its eggs in one basket, though. The foundation continues to sponsor conferences, marathons, races and publicity events that benefit victims and their families, raise money for research, and increase public awareness of the disease.
The Meso Foundation aren’t the only ones concerned about mesothelioma. Florida recently added the 26th of September to its list of state wide recognized days, dubbing the day Mesothelioma Awareness Day in a move that foreshadows the establishment of a nationally recognized awareness day.
Every year, mesothelioma claims the lives of some 2,500 in America or 90,000 worldwide. That may seem like a large number, but the reality is that it’s shockingly low in comparison to those killed by heart disease, traffic accidents, and plenty of other worldwide threats to health and well-being.
The reason mesothelioma is getting so much attention, is because it’s one-hundred percent preventable without restricting anyone’s personal freedoms. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, a toxic substance historically used as an insulator, sealant, and strengthener in certain building materials.
More than fifty countries around the world, including the majority of the European Union, banned asbestos as soon as it was conclusively linked to life-threatening disease in the 1980′s. America, Britain, Canada and Russia, however, are not among those.
With the establishment of a National Mesothelioma Awareness Day and the ongoing efforts of those driven to eradicate the needless suffering of those afflicted with the disease, the world may be preparing to see a decline of mesothelioma and other asbestos related illnesses.
http://www.mesothelioma.net
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