10 December 2020 – Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region joined other countries of the world in celebrating the eighth International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week during the period 25-31 October 2020. This week of action is an initiative of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (the Lead Paint Alliance), which is jointly led by the UN Environment Programme and WHO.
Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Pakistan celebrated this initiative in collaboration with the WHO Centre for Environmental Health Action (CEHA), Ministries of Health and other related stakeholders in each of the four countries. The main issues highlighted during the week were:
- Health impact of exposure to lead;
- Lead Paint; risks and solutions;
- Governmental actions to implement a law for banning lead in paint; and
- Actions for industry and civil society to eliminate health risks of using leaded paint.
The aims of the activities during the International Week were to:
- Raise awareness about health effects of lead exposure;
- Highlight the efforts of countries to prevent/ minimize lead exposure, particularly in children;
- Discuss further action to eliminate lead paint through regulatory action at country level.
Governments, civil society organizations, health partners, industries, and other sectors were engaged in celebrating the ILPPW 2020. A wide range of awareness raising materials which developed by the Lead Paint Alliance and the World Health Organization were used and disseminated electronically and by hand in different sectors in each country during the week.
Related link
International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week