Mesothelioma Research

Australia has created a $1.5 million fund to help research asbestos-related diseases.

For the next three years, the Asbestos Innovation Fund will help finance the efforts of researchers who are trying to find a cure for illnesses caused by asbestos exposure such as malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Australia has been hit hard by such diseases as the carcinogenic mineral, which is a flame retardant, was heavily used in the country.

Workplace Relations Minister Chris Evans said that last year 600 Australians died of asbestosis, a respiratory illness, and that figure will only increase in the coming years.

"In fact we'll see a peak of people affected in the next 10 years," he told the news source.

Terry Miller, the president of the Asbestos Victims Association in South Australia, said that his organization would apply for some of the available funding to help find a cure for asbestos-related illnesses.

"Until there's a breakthrough to actually treat the disease, there's never enough money to do what we need to do," he said to the news provider.