Health Ministry calls for stronger measures to tackle lead poisoning

The Ministry of Health has called for stronger regulation, public education and collaboration among key institutions to prevent lead poisoning and protect children from its harmful effects.

The call was made at the launch of the 2026 National Lead Poisoning Awareness Week, held under the theme, “From Detection to Prevention”.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Health, the Ministry’s Chief Director, Mr Desmond Boateng, described lead poisoning as a serious but preventable public health threat that requires coordinated action beyond the health sector.

He warned that exposure to lead could affect children’s brain development, learning abilities and behaviour, while also causing kidney and cardiovascular problems in adults.

Mr Boateng identified lead-based paints, mining activities, battery recycling, electronic waste and contaminated consumer products as some of the common sources of exposure.

He said the government’s priorities included intensifying public education, protecting vulnerable communities, strengthening the capacity of health workers to detect and manage lead exposure, and enforcing regulations to control the substance at its sources.

The Deputy Country Representative of UNICEF Ghana, Madam Emmanuelle Collet, called for the establishment of a coordinated national surveillance system to identify children exposed to lead, trace sources of contamination and ensure unsafe products were removed from the market.

The awareness week is expected to promote practical measures to reduce lead exposure and strengthen efforts to safeguard public health.

The Ministry of Health is collaborating with Pure Earth, Vital Strategies, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to strengthen public education, surveillance and regulatory enforcement.

The initiative places particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable populations, especially children, from the harmful effects of lead exposure.

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