Note: Dr. Evgeny Kovalevskiy who has been a member of the Russian government delegation and has worked to defeat the recommendation of the Chemical Review Committee to put chrysotile asbestos on the Convention’s list of hazardous substances has been appointed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a WHO agency as an IARC collaborating scientist in a project regarding the cancer risk of chrysotile asbestos at the Uralasbest mine in Russia. Scientists around the world documented improper conduct on the part of Dr. Kovalevsiy and his Institute in their efforts to promote continued use of chrysotile asbestos in their letter dated March 27, 2013.
In an yet another instance of disapproval of IARC's association with the Russian scientist who is promoting carcinogenic fibers of chrysotile asbestos, the Brazilian Association of Collective
Health, which represents 34
health institutions and over 3,500 individual members, expresses its support for the
request by the scientists that IARC end its collaboration with Dr. Kovalevskiy
and the Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Health of the Russian
Academy of Medical Sciences in a letter to IARC. The letter is given below.
Brazilian Association of Collective Health
Director, International Agency for Research on Cancer
World Health Organization
Dear Dr. Wild,
ABRASCO, the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, is expressing its full support for the letter of March 27, 2013, that was sent to you by Dr. Richard Lemen and other internationally recognized scientists asking IARC to terminate its collaboration with the Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) and with Dr. Evgeny Kovalevskiy.
The most relevant reason is the unethical and improper scientific conduct on their part, which is incompatible with the standards expected of IARC or any reputable scientific agency.
We have copied this letter to Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Sincerely,
Dr. Luis Eugenio Souza Luiz Augusto Facchini
President of ABRASCO Counselor and Past President of ABRASCO
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