Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) Lead was found in the blood of four in 10 children aged 12-36 months living in seven high-risk areas of Pakistan, according to a new study by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, and UNICEF.
The UNICEF stated that lead exposure can stunt growth, cause anaemia, and weaken the immune system, while also lowering IQ, reducing attention span, and impairing memory, raising the risk of learning difficulties and behavioural problems.
“Several likely sources of exposure, including industrial emissions, informal battery recycling, lead-based paints, contaminated food and spices, and traditional cosmetics”, were identified by the study based on global evidence.
According to the press release by the UNICEF, 2,100 children were sampled for the study who are living in Haripur, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, and Rawalpindi, the high-risk industrial areas.
It highlighted that 88 per cent of children tested from Hattar and Haripur had high levels of lead in their blood, making them the most affected, compared to one per cent in children living in Islamabad.
With up to eight in 10 children in Pakistan potentially affected, which makes the highest rates globally, the burden may be far higher as reduced learning ability through lead exposure is linked to long-term economic losses, estimated at 6-8 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP ($25-35 billion annually), it added.
“Children can absorb up to five times more lead than adults, making them especially vulnerable. Lead affects every system in the body, but its impact on developing brains can be devastating and lifelong. There is no safe level of exposure to lead for children whose harmful effects are irreversible,” UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Pernille Ironside, said.
According to the UNICEF, a nationally representative survey is planned later in 2026 to strengthen the evidence base and to assess lead exposure among children, pregnant women, and the most vulnerable groups.
Abdullah Fadil, Director, Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, said: “Lead poisoning is one of the most preventable threats to child health and development. The evidence is clear that it has lifelong consequences for learning and productivity.”
–IANS
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