ISLAMABAD:
A new study has revealed alarming levels of lead exposure among young children in Pakistan, with four in ten children aged 12-36 months in high-risk urban areas having blood lead levels, posing a serious risk to their physical and cognitive development.
The study, jointly conducted by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (M/o NHSR&C) and UNICEF, assessed more than 2,100 children across high-risk industrial zones in seven cities, including Haripur, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi.
It found marked geographic differences, with Hattar in Haripur reporting the highest prevalence, with 88% of children having elevated blood lead levels, compared to just 1% in Islamabad.
Lead exposure, the report warned, can stunt growth, cause anemia, weaken the immune system and significantly impair cognitive development, lower IQ, reduce attention span and affect memory, thereby increasing the risk of learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
Muhammad Aslam Ghauri, federal health secretary at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, said protecting children from lead exposure was a national public health priority.
He emphasized that the evidence underscores the urgent need for coordinated action across health, environmental and regulatory systems. He added that the government was committed to strengthening surveillance, improving enforcement of standards and integrating prevention into child health programs nationwide.
The study identified several potential sources of lead exposure by drawing on global evidence, including industrial emissions, informal battery recycling, lead-based paint, contaminated food and spices, and traditional cosmetics. It noted that exposure risks persist due to gaps in regulatory enforcement, monitoring and public awareness.
Global estimates suggest the scale of the problem may be far greater, with up to eight in ten children in Pakistan potentially affected, among the highest rates worldwide.
The report linked lead exposure not only to developmental damage, but also to long-term economic losses, estimated at 6-8% of GDP, or between $25 and $35 billion annually.
“Children can absorb up to five times more lead than adults, making them particularly vulnerable. Lead affects all systems of the body, but its effects on developing brains can be devastating and lifelong. There is no safe level of exposure to lead for children whose harmful effects are irreversible. UNICEF is committed to strengthening evidence, promoting multi-environmental health, and promoting multi-environmental threat to this health threat,” Ironside, UNICEF representative in Pakistan, said.
