The precarious public policies related to asbestos in Brazil
Abstract In this decade, Brazil was the world's third largest producer of asbestos, and the fourth largest consumer, with an estimated 500,000 Brazilian workers being exposed to asbestos during the working day, and millions of users to several asbestos materials. In Brazil, the precarious public policies related to asbestos production and commercialization contributes to the invisibility of the problems related to its exposure. Thus, an immersion in the discussion of public policies related to asbestos was necessary. A qualitative investigation of an exploratory type was conducted, based on documentation research of requirements of commissions, ordinances, bills, and public hearings published in the period from 1970 to 2019, related to asbestos, by the Brazilian National Congress. We found 624 occurrences/documents, which were analyzed and discussed in this study. The complexity of the interrelations between actors and the State in the formulation and implementation of public policies is demonstrated, asbestos being the subject on the decision-making agenda several times, however, the creation of a national public policy occurred only on a few occasions. International scientific cooperation is one of the ways to cope with asbestos-related diseases, as it allows the transfer of know-how of best practices. When discussing the Brazilian reality, it is possible to disseminate the attitudes that were important in the process of policy construction in Brazil, thus preventing the waste of time and practices in procedures that have already proved wrong. Key messages Precarious public policies contributes to the invisibility of the asbestos problems. International scientific cooperation is one of the ways to cope with asbestos related diseases.