Nigeria's federal government has launched a five-year strategy to eliminate lead poisoning, Premium Times reports.
The Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako, unveiled the plan in Abuja on Wednesday during International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. He said the government wanted to move beyond identifying cases to cutting exposure at source, through better surveillance, laboratory capacity, regulation and enforcement, and clearer referral routes for people with high blood lead levels. A three-year roadmap is being drawn up to turn the strategy into measurable steps.
Mr Salako said children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age were most at risk. Separate action plans are planned for Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto and Zamfara states, reflecting local sources of exposure. There is no known safe level of lead, which can damage the brain and nervous system and harm children's development.
Source: Premium Times
