Global Health Asia-Pacific September 2020 September 2020 | Page 33
Children exposed to dangerous lead levels
Lack of education and unsafe practices are to blame
third of the world’s children are poisoned by lead,
A according to a report by U�IC�� and �ure �arth.
About �00 million children have blood lead levels of five
micrograms per deciliter or more, a threshold the World Health
Organization says it may be linked to decreased intelligence,
behavioural problems and learning di�culties. While most of
the affected children live in Africa and Asia, many of them are
in Central and South America and �astern �urope.
�With few early symptoms, lead silently wreaks havoc
on children’s health and development, with possibly fatal
consequences,� said Henrietta �ore, U�IC�� �xecutive
Director, in a press release. ��nowing how widespread lead
pollution is – and understanding the destruction it causes to
individual lives and communities – must inspire urgent action
to protect children once and for all.�
Infants and young children are at increased risk than
adults because they absorb four to five times more of the
lead that enters their body. �or those under the age of five,
lead poisoning may cause lifelong neurological, physical and
mental impairment, while older ones may suffer from kidney
damage and heart disease later in life.
It’s estimated that lead poisoning contribute to more than
900,000 premature deaths every year.
Inadequate recycling of vehicle batteries is one of the
main reasons behind lead poisoning in children living
in low- and middle-income countries as the process is
carried out by unlicensed and illegal businesses located
close to homes and schools. Children are also exposed
to lead in water coming from poor-quality pipes, leaded
gasoline as well as lead in food cans, spices, toys and
other consumer products.
��xposure to lead before and during pregnancy can also
be extremely harmful. �ead stored in an expectant mother’s
bones from her erliest exposures can be released during
pregnancy, especially when calcium in the blood-stream
is low. This increases blood lead levels and poses risks to
both the mother and unborn children,� reads the report.
�arents who work with lead often have their hair, clothes
and hand contaminated with it, thus exposing their children
to the chemical, and they are often unaware that this is a
dangerous neurotoxin.
�The good news is that lead can be recycled safely
without exposing workers, their children, and surrounding
neighborhoods. �ead-contaminated sites can be remediated
and restored,� said �ichard �uller, �resident of �ure �arth, in
a press release. ��eople can be educated about the dangers
of lead and empowered to protect themselves and their
children. The return on the investment is enormous� improved
health, increased productivity, higher I�s, less violence, and
brighter futures for millions of children across the planet.�
In order to address the problem, the report recommends
monitoring children to identify those exposed to lead and
strengthening the role of the healthcare in the management
of affected kids as well as preventing their exposure to highrisk
sites and products that contain lead. This means making
recycling practices safe, refraining from the use of lead in
cookware, pottery and lead, and improving drinking water
safety.
It’s also important to raise public awareness about the
dangers of lead exposure, educating parents, teachers,
community leaders, doctors and workers of lead-related
industries in particular.
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