GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged countries to step up efforts to prevent lead exposure, warning that an estimated 815 million children worldwide have blood lead levels high enough to require action to reduce or eliminate exposure.
“Lead poisoning is one of the world’s most serious yet overlooked environmental health threats,” said Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO’s environment department.
The WHO considers lead one of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern, alongside arsenic, asbestos, mercury and highly hazardous pesticides.
Lead exposure is a widespread but preventable health threat that is estimated to contribute to more than 3.5 million deaths globally each year, according to the WHO.
The agency said 815 million children have blood lead levels of at least five microgrammes per decilitre, a threshold at which its guidelines recommend reviewing the sources of exposure and taking steps to reduce or eliminate them.
“Over one in three children around the world are above WHO’s action level,” Gordon told reporters, adding that children could be exposed to lead without showing obvious symptoms.
Children are particularly vulnerable because their developing brains and nervous systems are highly sensitive to the toxic effects of the metal. Even relatively low levels of exposure can cause lasting harm, including reduced intelligence, behavioural disorders and learning difficulties.
Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust. Its widespread use has resulted in extensive environmental contamination and significant health problems.
According to the WHO, exposure can occur through lead-based paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices, informal recycling and industrial contamination, among other sources.
Once it enters the body, lead can accumulate in the bones and affect vital organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver. The agency says there is no known safe level of lead exposure.
Awareness alone is not enough
In 2021, the WHO recommended identifying and eliminating the source of contamination in anyone with a blood lead level of at least five microgrammes per decilitre.
The agency said countries had recognised lead exposure as an urgent public health concern and tasked it with developing a global action plan. The plan is due to be presented at the next annual assembly of WHO member states in May.
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The WHO is also strengthening laboratory capacity for blood lead testing in Brazil, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.
“Awareness alone is not enough, and we need to move to effective policy making and enforcement,” Gordon said. Fewer than half of countries have legally binding controls on lead in paint, according to the WHO’s latest assessment.
The agency urged governments to tackle the problem at its source by removing lead from products and environments before it enters children’s bloodstreams.
“Countries now need to move upstream, removing lead from products and environments before it reaches a child’s bloodstream,” Gordon said.
