❤️ 🤝 collaboration with colleagues in UCT 🇿🇦, OK International 🇺🇸 and Kibong'oto (Tanzania) 🇹🇿

5) We can + must do more; starting with primary prevention.

Silica dust is main driver of disease

Pilot studies show levels can be ⬇️ 80-99% at low cost ($1000-5000 per mine)

What are we waiting for?

4/4

@imperialnhli.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @thelancetph.bsky.social

3) Its under-researched; 6 basic science TB/silica papers in last 25 years... research being done largely unfunded + by in-country teams...

4) Disease has socioeconomic and political roots; mining has moved to lower income countries due to cost; demand will ⬆️ with electrification

3/4

We argue:

1) There is a larger disease burden than we think; possibly 1 in 25 TB cases globally

2) Very high disease estimates - between 1 in 8 (!) and 1 in 50 miners having microbiological TB - are plausible given ⬆️⬆️ high silica exposures of 4 to 2400x the US max permissible exposure limits

3/4

👋

#BTSWinter2024

That’s it! I hope to see you at #BTSWinter2024 Come and say hi!
21/21 /end brit-thoracic.org.uk/education-an...

Also, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - modern America!

#NGFeed ?