One in three children worldwide have dangerous levels of lead in their blood that exceed recommendations set out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a fresh report on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th July, 2020) One in three children worldwide have dangerous levels of lead in their blood that exceed recommendations set out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a fresh report on Thursday.
"Around 1 in 3 children - up to 800 million globally - has blood lead levels at or above 5 micrograms per decilitre (g/dL), a level that the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated it requires global and regional interventions," UNICEF said in a press release accompanying the report.
Children with low to moderate levels of lead poisoning often display no symptoms. However, this can result in children suffering from neurological deficiencies and can also lead to cognitive and physical impairment, UNICEF said in the report.
According to the agency, the vast majority of children exposed to high levels of lead are based in low- and middle-income countries, predominantly in Africa and South Asia.
Further research and decisive action by the international community, including the creation of a global standard measurement to assess the impact of pollution on public health, are required to address this issue, UNICEF said.
The WHO has previously said that there is no safe level for lead exposure.
