Staff Reporter :
UNICEF has called on Bangladesh’s interim government to develop a comprehensive strategy to tackle the growing public health crisis of lead poisoning, particularly among children.
The call comes after alarming findings from recent research that highlight dangerously high blood lead levels in children across the country.
In a press release issued after a national workshop on Tuesday, jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and UNICEF, the organization emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated effort to create a lead-free Bangladesh.
The workshop, which coincided with the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, sought to raise awareness about the sources and risks of lead exposure, especially for children, and to engage government and private sector stakeholders in mitigating lead pollution.
According to research findings, lead exposure in Bangladesh is widespread, with nearly all of the 980 children tested in Khulna, Tangail, Patuakhali, and Sylhet districts, as well as over 500 children in Dhaka, showing traces of lead in their blood.
In many of the samples tested, , a level considered harmful, though UNICEF notes that there is no safe level of lead exposure.
“Lead poisoning is a silent crisis that demands immediate and sustained action,” said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
“The Interim Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to create a lead-free future for all children and end lead poisoning by 2040.”
The effects of lead poisoning are particularly severe for children, with lifelong neurological and physical impairments.
Unlike adults, children absorb and retain lead more readily, which can damage their brain development, affecting their ability to learn and grow.
In adults, lead exposure can cause cardiovascular diseases, and in pregnant women, it can harm the unborn child.
Rana Flowers, UNICEF’s representative in Bangladesh, underscored the long-term impacts of lead poisoning: “The damage caused by lead exposure to children is irreversible.
It affects almost all organs, and tragically, the period of brain development in children is curtailed.
With proper legislation and cooperation from the private sector, we can drastically reduce the health and educational costs associated with lead poisoning.”
The workshop highlighted the need for national representative data on blood lead levels to better understand the full scale of the problem. Such data will help shape policies and interventions to protect children from lead exposure.
In addition, UNICEF and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are working together to introduce a model for collecting data on lead levels in children as part of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS): Round 7 (2024-2025), set to begin soon.
This initiative, supported by USAID, will provide crucial evidence for future policy reforms and stronger regulations to eliminate lead from consumer products and industrial practices.
In collaboration with the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh (icddr,b), UNICEF’s research has shown that lead exposure is linked to environmental contamination, particularly from industrialization, urbanization, and unsafe products like paints, toys, cookware, and contaminated water and food.
During the workshop, participants called for the government to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to address lead exposure, involving ministries of health, environment, and industry.
Strengthening laboratory capacity to test for lead and other heavy metals, along with building awareness and enforcement of regulations, will be essential in preventing further poisoning.
As part of the global Partnership for a Lead-free Future (PLF), Bangladesh has committed to eliminating childhood lead poisoning by 2040.
This ambitious goal, which will require substantial investment in infrastructure, education, and regulation, signals Bangladesh’s dedication to ensuring that no child is harmed by lead exposure.
UNICEF has pledged to continue supporting the Bangladesh government and all partners in their efforts to create a safer, healthier environment for children, free from lead and other toxic metals.
“UNICEF is fully committed to supporting Bangladesh in its efforts to create a lead-free future,” said Flowers. “Together, we can ensure every child grows, plays, and learns in a safe, healthy environment, free from the devastating impacts of lead poisoning.”
