What if you grew up in a house that, at some point, will negatively affect your health?
Many Kenyans lived in public housing estates owned by quasi-State agencies and city and town councils whose roofing likely contained asbestos.
Asbestos was the material of choice in the building industry because it was affordable, highly effective fire-retardant, and an excellent thermal insulator.
Kenyans who worked in the construction industry were also occupationally exposed to it.
Little did we know that exposure to asbestos fibers from damaged roofs and ceilings, or through our occupations, can cause fibrotic lung disease, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Of these three conditions, mesothelioma is the only one whose primary risk factor is asbestos exposure. Read More…