A joint declaration has been issued by the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Health in Chile on a plan for the eradication of silicosis.

Silicosis is a chronic, irreversible lung disease caused by the inhalation and retention of silica. It is preventable by the adoption of adequate control measures. It is estimated that some 366,000 workers in Chile are potentially exposed to silica.

The tripartite national plan calls for a reduction in the incidence of silicosis by 2020 and its eradication by 2030. It also supports plans for the eradication of silicosis in Latin America.

The text of the declaration is available here (in Spanish).

For further information on the ILO/WHO Global Programme for the Elimination of Silicosis (GPES), see the Outline for a National Programme for the Elimination of Silicosis and the CIS News, May 2007.