Over 3.5 million deaths annually due to lead poisoning
The World Health Organization has called for efforts to prevent lead poisoning, which causes millions of deaths and affects hundreds of millions of children.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Geneva (AFP) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to make greater efforts to prevent lead exposure, as this issue affects hundreds of millions of children worldwide.
Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO’s Environment Department, said, “Lead poisoning is among the most serious environmental health threats in the world, yet it remains one of the most overlooked.”
The WHO classifies lead among the top ten chemicals of greatest public health concern, alongside other substances such as arsenic, asbestos, mercury, and highly hazardous pesticides.
Lead exposure poses a widespread and preventable health threat. Estimates suggest it contributes to more than 3.5 million deaths annually worldwide.
According to the WHO, 815 million children have blood lead levels of at least five micrograms per deciliter, a threshold that, under WHO guidelines, warrants a review of their exposure to lead and the implementation of measures to reduce or eliminate it.
Gordon told journalists, “More than one in three children worldwide exceed the WHO’s reference level.”
He added that “a child can be exposed to lead without showing any obvious symptoms.”
