"MONTREAL -- The Canadian asbestos sector wants Ottawa's help to challenge a death-toll estimate from the World Health Organization that says asbestos-related diseases kill more than 100,000 people every year."
"The figure is a major irritant for the industry, one often cited by critics who want to block future asbestos development over health concerns.
A leading industry player says the estimate by the WHO, the United Nations health authority, is an exaggeration based on unfounded evidence. ...
A senior official for the WHO said the organization stands by its estimate that asbestos-related diseases, such as certain forms of lung cancer, kill more than 107,000 people around the world each year. ... Ivan Ivanov, a team leader in the WHO's department of public health and environment, said the estimate is based on data from published scientific research."
Andy Blatchford reports for the Canadian Press February 29, 2012.
