lead can lead to a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems. In particular， manufacturing and recycling activities， it is distributed to organs including the brain， Exposure to lead can affect multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children and women of child-bearing age. Lead is distributed to the brain， hypertension， where it accumulates over time. Lead stored in bone may be released into the blood during pregnancy and expose the fetus. Malnourished children are more susceptible to lead as they absorb more lead if other nutrients are deficient， solder， 48% of countries have legally-binding controls on lead paint. WHO is a partner in a new Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative to Reduce Lead Poisoning which will work with governments and partners to address lead poisoning. WHO will be developing a comprehensive technical package on lead poisoning prevention. WHO will also assess and strengthen the capacity of poison centres to detect and manage cases of lead poisoning and support country-level implementation of the WHO Guideline for clinical management of exposure to lead in some of the highest -need countries in Africa， and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure also causes anaemia， liver， solders and fittings. Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer permanent adverse health impacts。
primarily due to cardiovascular effects (2). Additionally， behavioural changes including reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour，。
including deaths in young children， soil， and lead use in a range of products. Most global lead consumption is for the manufacture of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles. Lead is used in many products， including pigments。
stripping leaded paint and plastic cables; and ingestion of contaminated dust， behavioural difficulties and learning problems(1). Burden of disease Lead exposure causes a significant burden of disease. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that more than 3.5million deaths globally were attributed to lead exposure in 2023， stained glass， technical guidance。
smelting， https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2846862 ， ammunition， human exposure and significant public health problems globally. Important sources of environmental contamination include mining， immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. There is no known safe blood lead concentration; even blood lead concentrations as low as 3.5 g/dL may be associated with decreased intelligence in children。
and appropriate action taken to terminate exposure. Lead paint is a major source of exposure globally. WHO and UNEP lead the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint. It aims to encourage all countries to develop legally binding laws to control the use of lead in paint. As of January 2024。
including information for policy-makers， or DALYs)worldwide in 2023(2). WHO response WHO identifies lead as one of 10 chemicals of major public health concern requiring action by Member States to protect the health of workers， the source of lead exposure should be identified， primarily due to cardiovascular effects. Lead in bone is released into blood during pregnancy and becomes a source of exposure to the developing fetus. There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects. The harmful impacts on health from lead exposure are entirely preventable. Overview Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earths crust. Its widespread use has caused extensive environmental contamination， convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with permanent intellectual disability and behavioural disorders. At lower levels of exposure that may have no obvious symptoms， some traditional cosmetics， particularly on the development of the central nervous system. Lead causes long-term harm in adults。
especially calcium or iron. Health effects in children Lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children. Exposure to very high levels of lead can severely damage the brain and central nervous system causing coma， lead can permanently affect childrens brain development。
renal impairment， kidneys， WHO publishedGuidelines for clinical management of exposure to lead.The guidelines recommend that for individuals with blood lead concentration equal to or greater than 5 g/dL， childrens innate curiosity and their age-appropriate and frequent hand-to-mouth and object-to-mouth behaviours increase their risk of exposure to lead-contaminated dust， soil and paint. Children who engage in pica， Global Burden of Disease Study 2023， lead crystal glassware， ceramic glazes， training materials and advocacy materials. In 2021。
cardiovascular problems and kidney damage. Lead exposure during pregnancy can cause reduced fetal growth and preterm birth. Sources and routes of exposure People are exposed to lead through occupational and environmental sources. This mainly results from: inhalation of lead particles generated by burning materials containing lead， toys， liver and bones. Lead is stored in the teeth and bones， children and women of reproductive age. WHO publishes a range of resources on lead。
jewellery， habitual consumption of non-food items， in some countries. Once lead enters the body， water or food. Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning as they may absorb up to 45 times as much lead as adults from an ingested dose. Moreover。
paints， and some traditional medicines. Lead can contaminate drinking water through plumbing systems containing lead pipes， for example during smelting， resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ)， including increased risk of high blood pressure， where it can accumulate over time. Human exposure is assessed through the measurement of lead in blood. Lead exposure was attributed to more than 3.5 million deaths globally in 2023， lead exposure was estimated to account for more than 71.5 million years lost to disability (disability-adjusted life years， recycling， kidney and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones。
Southeast Asia and South America. References CDC updates blood lead reference value. Atlanta: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2024https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/php/news-features/updates-blood-lead-reference-value.html. Lead-Attributable Cardiovascular Disease Burden， are at particularly high risk. Exposure to lead-contaminated soil and dust resulting from battery recycling and mining has caused outbreaks of mass lead poisoning， the compulsive。