Compensation of occupational diseases and particularly of asbestos-related diseases among the European Community (EEC) countries.
The aim of the paper is to present some of the characteristics of the compensation systems in EEC countries and to focus on the compensation of asbestos-related diseases: for each country the diseases admitted for compensation, the date of introduction into the schedule, the number of compensations awarded and a comparison between compensations for mesothelioma and mortality are presented. The data have been collected in 1990-91 by asking for information to the Compensation Institutes. The results suggest that the objective of harmonisation of the compensation systems among European countries is far from being achieved and needs re-vitalisation. The gap between knowledge and public health action has been considerable in the compensation of asbestos-related diseases, especially in the compensation of cancers. The results confirm, therefore, from a different perspective the validity of considering asbestos as a case study in public health. Finally, the Authors stress the serious situation in Italy with respect to updating the list of prescribed diseases as epidemiological data are available and to compensating occupationally related asbestos diseases.
Merler
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Unit of Epidemiology, Center for Study and Prevention of Cancer (CSPO), USL 10/E, Florence, Italy.
Brizzi
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D001195:Asbestosis; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma; D009784:Occupational Diseases; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms; D014942:Workers' Compensation