NEW YORK, September 23 – Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has called on world leaders to urgently step up efforts to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, describing it as a “silent pandemic” with devastating consequences for future generations.
Speaking at a high-level UNICEF side event on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23, the Prime Minister shared Bhutan’s rapid response after a national survey revealed alarming levels of lead in children’s blood.
According to a press release from UNICEF Bhutan, the survey, the first of its kind in the country, showed that 76 percent of Bhutanese children had unsafe levels of lead exposure. Common household items such as spices, cookware, toys, and cosmetics were found to be major sources of contamination.
“In Bhutan, we could not afford to wait,” Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay said. “If Bhutan can move from discovery to action in months, then together we can move the world towards a lead-free future.”
Lead poisoning is estimated to affect one in three children globally, causing 3.45 million deaths every year. It is now the eighth leading cause of death worldwide. Medical experts warn that lead exposure causes irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, and learning disabilities, costing the global economy an estimated USD 1.4 trillion annually.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the gathering that ending childhood lead poisoning is not only possible but cost-effective. “For just USD 2 per child, we can cut cases by half by 2033 and eliminate them entirely by 2040,” she said.
Bhutan’s response has already been cited as a model of evidence-based policymaking. Following the survey, the Royal Government launched a series of interventions, including:
* Tracing and testing market sources of lead contamination,
* Reviewing and tightening national regulations,
* Drafting Bhutan’s first National Lead Poisoning Prevention Strategy,
* Launching mass awareness campaigns across schools and communities, and
* Training health workers to identify and manage lead exposure in children.
Going forward, according to the press release, Bhutan has committed to forming a National Task Force on lead, strengthening blood testing and surveillance systems, and integrating nutrition education to reduce the absorption of lead in children.
The UNICEF-led Partnership for a Lead-Free Future (PLF), which Bhutan is now part of, has mobilized more than USD 150 million. The coalition includes over 30 governments, 29 civil society organizations, six multilateral agencies, and 12 private foundations.
Also speaking at the event were UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohamed.
“What we’ve proven is this: small nations can lead on big problems when we combine evidence with action,” Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay told the global audience. “No nation is too small, and no child’s future too unimportant to protect.”
Rinzin Wangchuk
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