WHO says lead exposure kills more than 3.5 million people a year

15 October 2026

The World Health Organization called on 15 October 2026 for faster action to prevent lead exposure.
Lead exposure is estimated to cause more than 3.5 million deaths globally each year and affects hundreds of millions of children.
The call was made ahead of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which runs from 18 to 26 October.
Fewer than half of countries had confirmed legally binding controls on paint containing lead, according to the agency's latest global assessment.
Bruce Gordon, interim director of WHO's Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, said lead poisoning should not be stealing children's potential in 2026.
WHO will present a Global Action Plan on Lead Mitigation to the World Health Assembly next year and launch the PREVENT Technical Package in 2027.