Exposure to lead can have serious and irreversible health effects. In particular, children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning as their bodies can absorb 4-5 times more than adults from a given source. The International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is held until October 26 and, in this connection, information and awareness activities on the risks caused by exposure to lead are being carried out in the country, IPN reports.
The National Public Health Agency said that the aim is to promote the global phase-out of lead paint through developing legally binding measures, such as to stop the manufacture, import, export, distribution, sale and use of lead paints in every country.
The World Health Organization identified lead as one of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern requiring action by Member States to protect the health of workers, children and women of reproductive age. WHO estimates that nearly half of the 2 million lives lost to known chemicals exposure in 2019 were due to exposure to lead.
The National Public Health Agency reiterates the need to carefully select paints intended for use in repair works and definitely avoid those containing lead. For the purpose, it is recommended to examine the label of the components of paints, before purchasing them and, if necessary, to request from the economic agent additional documents that confirm the harmlessness of the product.
