New Delhi– The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for immediate and decisive global action to eliminate lead exposure, warning that the toxic metal remains a major but preventable public health threat affecting millions of children and adults worldwide.
Despite decades of awareness and regulation, lead continues to contaminate everyday materials such as paint, batteries, cosmetics, and even food products like spices. It pollutes air, water, and soil, leading to persistent exposure across communities. According to WHO estimates, lead poisoning is responsible for roughly 1.5 million deaths annually — primarily from cardiovascular disease — and causes irreversible neurological and behavioral damage, particularly among children.
“Young children absorb significantly more lead than adults, which can result in reduced IQ, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues,” the WHO said in its statement ahead of the 13th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW), scheduled for October 19–25. “Lead exposure also poses severe risks to developing fetuses,” it added.
Dr. Ruediger Krech, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health, and Migration (a.i.) at the WHO, stressed the urgency of the crisis. “No level of lead is safe. Every child deserves a future free from this poison,” he said. “This week, we call on governments, communities, and healthcare providers to act decisively to eliminate lead exposure and protect the health and potential of the next generation.”
While global progress has been made — including bans on leaded petrol and partial restrictions on lead-based paints — the WHO warned that voluntary measures are insufficient. It urged nations to enforce comprehensive bans on the production, import, sale, and use of lead-based paints to prevent exposure, particularly among children.
Lead poisoning also carries enormous economic costs. A new study, co-authored by researchers from Kolkata’s Jadavpur University and the National University of Singapore, estimates that ongoing childhood lead exposure costs the global economy more than $3.4 trillion annually in lost productivity. The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, found that the financial and health burdens fall disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries.
The researchers cautioned that rising global demand for electrification — coupled with unsafe recycling of lead-containing materials — could worsen inequalities and reverse decades of progress in children’s health unless urgent safeguards are enacted.
The WHO reiterated that lead exposure is entirely preventable, and eliminating it represents both a moral and economic imperative for the international community. (Source: IANS)
