Partnering to PREVENT lead exposure

Introduction

Lead is toxic with no safe level of exposure, contributing to 3.5 million cardiovascular-related deaths per year with 815 million children – or 1 in 3 globally – affected by lead poisoning according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Despite global progress to remove lead from petrol and paint, it remains present in common household items such as spices, cosmetics, and cookware. Lead exposure is disproportionately harmful to pregnant women and people working in lead-related industries, such as used lead-acid battery recycling and cottage ceramics that use lead-based glazes. Pregnant women exposed to lead can pass it on to the developing fetus, and children absorb more lead than adults.

Low and middle-income countries bear the greatest health and economic burdens. Los productivity due to lead poisoning can account for up to 12% of national GDP and significantly impact individual lifetime income. ^[1]  

Addressing lead exposure requires a whole-of-government approach and engagement with the private sector to prioritize and measure sources, strengthen surveillance, respond to chemical events, support policy reform, enforce regulations, and track progress over time.

The WHO Technical Package on Lead Poisoning Prevention

WHO is partnering with Resolve to Save Lives to develop a global technical package that will enable countries to take coordinated, effective action on lead poisoning. This technical package will support country-level implementation of the draft Global Action Plan on Lead Mitigation, as requested by Member States in WHA78.27 "Galvanizing global support for a lead-free future". It will include six key actions, each covering a different set of practical considerations for countries with a focus on both industrial and consumer sectors.

The six key actions include:

1. Prioritize sources and measure exposures
2. Respond to elevated blood lead and address ongoing exposures
3. Engage partners, private sector, and the public to increase and sustain momentum
4. Verify that regulations align with best practices to protect health
5. Enforce regulations to ensure compliance
6. Track progress: evaluate implementation and impact on exposure

WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives co-organized an event alongside the 79^th World Health Assembly to discuss the overview module of the Technical Package and hear from country health officials on their successful efforts to address lead exposure. It is anticipated that the World Health Assembly will adopt a Global Action Plan on lead mitigation in 2027, and it is planned that the full Technical Package to support implementation will be released at the same time.