Hope Ajayi 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to strengthen measures against lead exposure, warning that an estimated 815 million children worldwide have elevated blood lead levels and face potential long-term health consequences.
The agency issued the warning on Thursday, ahead of the 14th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, scheduled for October 18–24, 2026. This year’s campaign, themed From Detection to Prevention, calls for countries to move beyond identifying lead exposure and take stronger action to eliminate its sources.
Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO’s environment department, described lead poisoning as one of the world’s most serious but overlooked environmental health threats. He said lead exposure was estimated to contribute to more than 3.5 million deaths globally each year, adding that children could suffer harmful effects even when they showed no obvious symptoms.
Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their developing brains and nervous systems are highly vulnerable to its toxic effects. Exposure can cause lasting harm even at relatively low levels.
According to the WHO, people may encounter lead through several sources, including lead-based paint, contaminated cookware, cosmetics, spices, informal recycling activities and industrial pollution.
The toxic metal can accumulate in the body and damage organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver. In children, exposure can interfere with neurological development and affect their long-term health and wellbeing.
The agency recommends identifying and eliminating sources of contamination when a person’s blood lead concentration reaches or exceeds five microgrammes per decilitre. The WHO also warned that fewer than half of countries have legally binding controls on lead in paint, highlighting gaps in the regulation of products and materials that can expose people to the metal.
Gordon called for stronger policies and enforcement, stressing that awareness campaigns alone would not adequately protect children from lead poisoning.
The agency is also working to strengthen laboratory capacity for blood lead testing in Brazil, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.
Improved testing capacity can help health authorities identify exposure, assess its extent and guide interventions to prevent further harm.
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Mirian Gom 
