Surveillance of Non-Malignant Asbestos-Related Diseases in an Exposed Population: A Scoping Review

Our plain-English summary of Surveillance of Non-Malignant Asbestos-Related Diseases in an Exposed Population: A Scoping Review, by C. de la Pava-Cortés, E. Peña Torres, T. Driscoll, et al (Annals of Global Health, 2026).

The study

• Authors: C. de la Pava-Cortés, E. Peña Torres, T. Driscoll, C. Jones, J. Coles, S. McArdle, K. Brislane, M. Peters, G. Villamizar, E. Algranti, A. Frank
• Journal: Annals of Global Health
• Published: 2026;92(1):19
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Asbestos remains a significant global public health issue, with approximately 255,000 deaths attributed to exposure each year, primarily through occupational contact. Mesothelioma rates continue to rise, particularly in areas with a history of industrial exposure. Despite this burden, many countries lack reliable surveillance systems. Colombia has clusters like the one observed in Sibaté, highlighting the urgency of establishing structured, evidence-based surveillance systems. Objective: The aim is to synthesize international experiences to guide the design and implementation of surveillance strategies in Colombia and other low- and middle-income countries facing similar challenges. Methods: Following the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, comprehensive searches were conducted in Medline (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library (OVID), and Google Scholar. Only English-language articles were included, and no time restrictions were applied. Results: Fourteen studies from 11 countries were included, with the majority coming from Italy, followed by Colombia and Brazil. Three main themes emerged: (1) numerous cohort studies reported increased risks of mesothelioma and lung cancer among asbestos-exposed workers, supporting the need for long-term follow-up; (2) structured surveillance systems-such as Italy's ReNaM and Brazil's Datamianto-demonstrated effective models combining data integration, regular medical evaluations, and policy enforcement; (3) considerable variability in surveillance design, target populations, and reporting standards, especially between high-income and resource-limited settings, highlighting the lack of global standardization. Conclusions: Structured, context-specific surveillance programs are essential to identify and manage the health burden of asbestos exposure. International models offer practical frameworks that could be adapted to Colombia's needs. Investing in such systems would strengthen public health responses, improve early detection of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs), and support environmental and occupational justice in affected communities. The included studies do not mention monitoring according to the degree of exposure.

Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s).

In plain English

This article was a scoping review of programs that monitor the health of people exposed to asbestos. It followed the JBI method for scoping reviews, and its aim was to guide surveillance in Colombia and other low- and middle-income countries. The authors searched Medline (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar for English-language articles with no date limit, and kept studies that had a surveillance component. They included 14 articles: 6 from Italy, 2 from Colombia and 1 from each of several other countries. The authors grouped what they found into three themes. First, cohort studies reported higher disease risks among exposed workers. For example, studies of 2488 male shipyard workers in Italy reported a standardized incidence ratio of 8.82 for mesothelioma. Second, several studies described formal surveillance systems, such as Italy's ReNaM mesothelioma registry and Brazil's Datamianto platform. Third, the studies varied widely in design, scope and completeness of reporting. The authors concluded that structured, context-specific surveillance programs are essential and that international models could be adapted to Colombia. They noted that the included studies did not mention monitoring according to the degree of exposure.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: scoping review following the JBI methodology
• Who was studied: Populations exposed to asbestos, as reported in 14 English-language articles found in Medline (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar with no date limit. Countries listed: Italy (6), Colombia (2), and one each from Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, India, Belgium, Spain, Turkey and the UK; one article covered three countries.
• Exposure: Asbestos exposure in general (occupational and environmental). The review sought studies of surveillance programs related to asbestos exposure and non-malignant asbestos-related diseases or exposure pathways. Fiber types were not specified for the included studies.
• Main results:
  • Two included studies by Barbiero et al. of 2488 male shipyard workers in Italy reported significantly elevated risks, including a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 8.82 for mesothelioma.
  • An included Italian study (Comba et al.) reported over 27,000 mesothelioma cases collected nationally through the ReNaM registry between 1993 and 2015.
  • Several included studies described formal surveillance systems, including Brazil's Datamianto platform, Italy's national ReNaM mesothelioma registry, and a structured follow-up program for exposed individuals in Tuscany.
  • The included studies differed widely in research design, scope and reporting completeness. For example, the Italian studies gave detailed sex and age distributions and the Brazilian study did not.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that structured, context-specific surveillance programs are essential to identify and manage the health burden of asbestos exposure, and that international models could be adapted to Colombia's needs. They noted that the included studies do not mention monitoring according to the degree of exposure.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis, Lung cancer, Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Asbestos Exposure.

Related studies

• The Brazilian System for Monitoring Workers and General Population Exposed to Asbestos: Development, Challenges, and Opportunities for Workers' Health Surveillance — R.J. Buralli, R.D.C. Pinheiro, et al. (2023)
• Programmed health surveillance and detection of emerging diseases in occupational health: contribution of the French national occupational disease surveillance and prevention network (RNV3P) — V. Bonneterre, L. Faisandier, et al. (2010)
• Surveillance of respiratory diseases among construction and trade workers at Department of Energy nuclear sites — J.M. Dement, L. Welch, et al. (2003)
• An Approach to Overcome the Limitations of Surveillance of Asbestos Related Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What We Learned from the Sibaté Study in Colombia — J.P. Ramos-Bonilla, M. Giraldo, et al. (2023)
• Mesothelioma incidence surveillance systems and claims for workers' compensation. Epidemiological evidence and prospects for an integrated framework — A. Marinaccio, A. Scarselli, et al. (2012)
• Epidemiological surveillance of mesothelioma mortality in Italy — L. Fazzo, G. Minelli, et al. (2018)

Browse more research in Annals of Global Health, or return to medical research.