ESDO and UNICEF started joint work to prevent lead poisoning in Bangladesh
Some recent studies have shown that exposure to lead is causing cognitive decline in children. The study revealed that more than 9.6 million children in Bangladesh were found to have excess lead in their blood.
The annual loss of which is about 20 million IQ points. The issue was discussed at a workshop about child lead poisoning in Bangladesh. The workshop was organized by ESDO and UNICEF-Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), Bangladesh, was present as the chief guest in this event. He talked about how lead poisoning affects children’s health and the solution to this problem.
He said, ‘Currently, Bangladesh is facing major challenges in protecting public health and environment. We must prioritize the well-being of our children and the environment as we pursue economic development.
Syed Margub Morshed, former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh and Honorary Chairperson of ESDO, presided over the event.
Children in Bangladesh, like in other parts of the world, are being harmed by lead exposure. He emphasized on taking swift action to tackle the problem of lead poisoning.
SK Rafiqul Islam, Chief Controller (Additional Secretary), Office of Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, Bangladesh, was present as guest.
He said that mismanagement of waste, especially lead emitted from e-waste, is threatening children’s health. He emphasized the importance of recycling process and proper waste management to deal with this problem.
The director general of the Department of Environment, who was present as a guest at the event. Abdul Hamid said, we are committed to keeping children safe from anything that endangers their health.
Kaya Khan, Director General of the Department of Women’s Affairs, expressed concern about lead poisoning in children and emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures with full cooperation.
Mr Anjir Liton, Director General of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, attended the event as a guest. In the event, he emphasized on the prevention of lead pollution in order to build “Smart Bangladesh”.
He said, “We need to work together to protect the environment for the health and future of our children and nation.”
Director General SM Ferdous Alam, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), said, “lead contamination is an alarming problem.”
“We support the initiative of ESDO and UNICEF Bangladesh and would like to come forward with their cooperation. BSTI has committed to establishing safe levels to regulate lead pollution through research conducted by SDEO,” he affirmed.
Maya VanDenent, the Head of Health at UNICEF Bangladesh, thanked ESDO for taking proactive steps to deal with the serious issue of lead poisoning in children in Bangladesh. He felt that this collective initiative for the health and welfare of children would serve as a significant demonstration.
Mr Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of ESDO, said, “People need a safe and healthy environment for a healthy and beautiful life. We are working tirelessly to implement it.”
Siddiqa Sultana, Executive Director, ESDO, said, “For more than a decade, we have been working towards keeping our children safe from the harmful effects of lead. Therefore, this project will play a significant role in ensuring a sustainable future for the children of our country.”
Lead pollution is a serious environmental problem that threatens human health. Children are especially affected by this lead poisoning. This impairs their intellectual development, physical growth and overall well-being.
Despite ongoing efforts in the country to combat this pollution, children are suffering from lead poisoning from contaminated water discharged from industrial factories and lead-containing paints. According to statistics, due to this, Bangladesh may face a loss of approximately 12 billion US dollars, which is equal to about 3.5% of the country’s total GDP in 2019.
Therefore, urgent steps need to be taken to ensure a safe and healthy future for future generations of Bangladesh by preventing lead poisoning.
The thematic presentation was presented by Sadmin Sadaf Jahan, Research and Campaign Associate, ESDO.
