By Joke Kujenya
SILENT BUT deadly, lead exposure continues to harm millions worldwide each year despite decades of awareness and regulation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has therefore renewed its call for urgent global action as the thirteenth International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week begins from 19 to 25 October 2025, under the theme “No Safe Level: Act Now To End Lead Exposure.”
Global Burden in Data
Lead poisoning remains a preventable yet persistent public health challenge.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), more than 1.5 million deaths globally in 2021 were linked to lead exposure — placing it among the top 10 environmental causes of death.
The same year, exposure accounted for 33.3 million years of healthy life lost (DALYs).
Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study shows that lead exposure contributed to 5.5% of all cardiovascular deaths and 2.4% of stroke-related deaths worldwide.
Regions with the highest exposure rates include South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Latin America, where informal recycling and weak regulatory systems remain common, according to the IHME.
In Nigeria, for instance, WHO estimates that children’s blood lead levels average 5–8 µg/dL, far above the global safety threshold of 3.5 µg/dL.
In contrast, the United States (US) averages below 1 µg/dL after decades of bans and remediation, illustrating the global inequality in exposure risk.
Children Carry the Heaviest Burden
Consequently, WHO warned that even minimal exposure is harmful.
There is no safe level, and the toxic metal causes irreversible damage, particularly in children, the IHME stresses.
It adds that half of the total global disease burden from lead poisoning falls on children under five.
The developing brain and nervous system are also most at risk, with exposure resulting in reduced IQ levels by up to three points per 10 µg/dL increase in blood lead concentration considered a loss that translates to an estimated $1 trillion in lost lifetime earnings across low- and middle-income countries.
Environmental and Household Sources
The IHME notes that lead remains widespread in the environment and everyday products.
Also, WHO identified major sources including:
▪️Burning of materials containing lead (e.g. electronic waste, used batteries)
▪️Contaminated soil and water systems using lead pipes or solder joints
▪️Lead-based paints and pigments still sold in 45% of countries, according to UNEP data
▪️Unsafe recycling, stained glass, ammunition, ceramic glazes, and cosmetics such as kohl and sindoor
▪️Traditional medicines and contaminated spices, notably in India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Viet Nam
Moreover, while the global ban on leaded petrol marked major progress, WHO reports that only 91 of 196 countries (46%) have implemented laws to eliminate lead in paint, leaving an estimated 1 billion people, mostly children, exposed at home or in school environments.
A Preventable Crisis
The WHO, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), disclosed that they are scaling up prevention strategies in a new technical package meant to guide nations in:
▪️Banning lead paint and monitoring blood lead levels
▪️Strengthening poison control centres and national surveillance systems
▪️Expanding clinical management of lead exposure in primary healthcare
▪️Educating the public and health professionals through multilingual awareness campaigns
WHO also said that it will also supports data-driven monitoring through country-level dashboards, tracking progress against global benchmarks.
Meanwhile, the dashboards highlight that Africa and South-East Asia account for nearly 70% of global DALYs from lead exposure, underscoring the urgent need for regional enforcement.
The Cost of Inaction
Economists are actually warning that the economic loss from lead-induced cognitive decline in children reaches 4% of GDP annually in some low-income countries.
Also, a 2024 UNEP-WHO analysis found that eliminating lead exposure could yield $2.5 trillion in long-term economic benefits worldwide, driven by improved workforce productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
Adults are not spared.
The report cautions that chronic lead exposure is linked to 30% higher risk of hypertension, 17% increased risk of heart disease, and kidney dysfunction, particularly among industrial workers.
Towards a Lead-Free Future
The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, jointly led by WHO and UNEP since 2011, affirms it continues to assist Member States in enacting and enforcing national bans.
The Alliance further urges all countries to accelerate action under the WHO Chemicals Road Map, ensuring that manufacturing, recycling, and waste disposal comply with international safety standards.
Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Environment, Climate Change and Health, said in a statement that “lead exposure is entirely preventable — what we lack is enforcement and coordination.”
She also emphasised that intersectoral action, strong legislation, and sustained investment are essential to protect populations from lead’s devastating effects and ensure that future generations grow up free from its silent toxicity.
