Health surveillance programme for workers with past asbestos exposure in Tuscany Region (Central Italy)

Abstract

Asbestos-related diseases are characterized by a long latency time since exposure. This accounts for a health surveillance programme addressed to asbestos workers to be performed for decades after the cessation of occupational exposure. We describe the health surveillance programme for former asbestos-exposed workers in Tuscany Region (Central Italy), with particular attention to organization and related critical issues. The Deliberation of the Regional Administration of Tuscany (No. 396/2016) supports the programme, defined by a regional group of experts, and defines the public health services where the programme has to be implemented. The programme activities are classified in two levels: a first level for a basic health evaluation and a second level for in-depth analyses. The former asbestos workers, aged less than 80 years and with cessation of occupational asbestos exposure in the last 30 years, that might be included free of charge in the programme are about 5.600. The funds assigned to develop the programme from 2016 to 2024 were 2,044,808 euros. The Regional Administration of Tuscany decided to offer and guarantee a homogeneous programme in the whole region. The identification of a specific public health programme and the cooperation of social stakeholders, defined with specific regional agreements, might facilitate to overcome the problems which are still open, such as a broaden invitation to adhere to the programme, an extended knowledge on the service, and the application of a similar health programme for still-working former asbestos workers.