WHO: Lead Poisoning Kills 143,000 People Every Year

With International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week around the corner, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called for discarding the use of lead paint and opting for safer alternatives to protect the lives of young kids who are highly susceptible to health problems associated with lead poisoning.

Lead is used everywhere- from building construction to lead-acid batteries. But, this useful metal is highly toxic to people of all ages, especially the unborn and young children as their growing bodies absorb lead more easily and get rid of the toxic metal less efficiently than the adults. Lead exposure during childhood is one of the most common preventable poisoning and is also one of the most important health issues in the U.S.

According to WHO, lead exposure accounts for 0.6 percent of the global burden of disease and kills about 143,000 people each year. Every year, 600,000 kids are diagnosed with intellectual disability due to lead exposure.

The Lead Poisoning Week from October 20 to 26, 2013, will see many countries join the campaign to raise awareness on lead toxicity.

"Lead poisoning remains one of the most important environmental health concerns for children globally, and lead paint is a major flashpoint for children's potential lead poisoning," said Dr Maria Neira, WHO's director for Public Health and Environment, in a statement.

Lead poisoning is known to slow mental and physical growth. The use of lead paint was reduced drastically in 1950 and in 1978 the addition of lead in paints was banned. However, flakes of old paint and lead dust ends in the babies' hands and toys, leading to various health issues. Even minor exposure of lead can trigger nervous system disorder, low IQ, impaired memory and reaction times and shortened attention spans.

Data according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control suggest that nearly 890,000 children of age 1-5 have elevated blood lead levels, and more than one fifth of African-American kids livings in houses built before 1946 have high blood levels.

Neira concluded saying, "The good news is that exposure to lead paint can be entirely stopped through a range of measures to restrict the production and use of lead pain."

source: www.scienceworldreport.com