Lead exposure above action level in 815m children: WHO

Lead exposure is at or above the World Health Organization's action level in 815 million children, the agency said as it urged governments on Oct. 15, 2026, to do more to prevent exposure.

The WHO said the children have blood lead levels of at least five microgrammes per decilitre, the level at which its guidelines call for a review of exposure sources and action to reduce or end them. Bruce Gordon, head of the WHO's environment department, said more than one in three children worldwide are above that level.

The WHO said lead exposure is estimated to contribute to more than 3.5 million deaths globally each year. It says children are especially vulnerable because lead can damage developing brains and nervous systems, and that exposure can come from paint, cookware, cosmetics, spices, informal recycling and industrial contamination.

The agency said there is no known safe level of lead exposure and that even relatively low exposure can cause irreversible harm. It also said fewer than half of countries have legally binding controls on lead in paint.

The WHO is preparing a global action plan for member states to consider at their annual assembly in May. It said it is expanding blood lead testing capacity in Brazil, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.