Africa
Threat of lead in
paints featured
at EACC.
East Africa Coatings Congress Part II:
Threat of Lead in Paints Featured at EACC
by Shem Oirere
Africa Correspondent
The East African Coatings Congress held in Nairobi June 8-9 was not only a forum for industry insiders,
experts, consumers and policy makers to
converge and compare notes on the latest
industry trends, but also provided an opportunity for the United Nations Environmental
Programme (Unep) and other organizations
to sound the alarm over the growing threat
of lead poisoning and urge paint manufacturers to join efforts to remove the threat in
the short term.
Unep’s Pauline Muchai told participants at
the Congress that although there is a wide rec-
ognition of lead poisoning and many countries
have taken action, “exposure to lead, particu-
larly in childhood, remains a key concern to
healthcare providers and public health offi-
cials worldwide.”
“Paint that contains additives poses a risk of
lead poisoning, especially for young children,”
she said.
“As lead paint deteriorates over time, children may inhale or ingest lead through household dust, paint chips or contaminated soil,”
added Muchai.
She said Unep estimates that reduced cognitive potentials (loss of IQ points) due to
preventable childhood lead exposure is equal
to 98.2 million points in Africa, which translates into economic losses of about $134.7
billion a year.
“Unfortunately it is still legal to sell lead
paint in many countries around the world for
