South Africa's mines - treasure chest or Pandora's box?

HARVESTING SOUTH AFRICA'S MINERAL wealth is of undeniable benefit to the economy, but the adverse consequences for health have had great humanitarian and monetary costs. This is illustrated by selected research studies by the National Centre for Occupational Health (NCOH) over the past 10 years, which reveal: center dot medical discharge of 41% of platinum refinery recruits within two years of employment; center dot autopsy data on gold miners indicated: silicosis was under-diagnosed in life; increasing prevalence of silicosis and tuberculosis (TB); effects of silica dust exposure on TB risk; onset and progression of silicosis and TB long after miners had left the mines; center dot former gold miners were not properly compensated; center dot mesothelioma rates in crocidolite mining areas were 10 times the national average; center dot women asbestos workers were not compensated for work-related disabilities. Interventions have achieved some improvements since these NCOH studies.