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Lead Paints Elimination.

Prevention of Lead Exposure through Effective implementation of Lead Paint Standard in Nepal, ILPPW 2020

 Background

Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP) is a global joint initiative of World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) with the goal of preventing children’s exposure to lead via paints containing lead and to minimize occupational exposures to lead in paint. With the continued efforts of all concerned, Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forest and Environment (MOFE) enacted mandatory standard of 90 ppm on 22 December 2014, effective since 20th June 2015. The compliance monitoring of standard by the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forest and Environment (MOFE) in early 2016 and Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED) with the support of WHO Country Office for Nepal in 2018 clearly shows increased compliance over years by almost all large and multinational paints companies but yet to achieve 100 % compliance of standard by small and medium domestic paint industries.  Furthermore, studies have shown elevated blood lead level-BLL (>5 µg/dl) among over 64 % of Nepalese children (NHRC 2015) among other four BLL studies so far carried out in Nepal.  54 % of tested children toys contain most toxic heavy metal like Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium and Bromine etc. (CEPHED 2013), Schools classroom dust sample contains lead more than 10 µg/ft2 (CEPHED 2014). These all indicates the urgent need to have regular compliance monitoring, mass awareness raising, as well as health sector increased engagement with their enhanced capacity.

In order to prevent lead exposure through enhance awareness and effective implementation of lead paint standard, there has been absolute need of massive dissemination of BLL Nepalese studies and other available global  studies along with the dissemination of status of lead in paints and status of standard compliance in all seven provinces among all concerned government agencies (Social Development Ministries, Health, Forest & Environment), Medical Institutions, local metropolitan/municipalities, paint industries, paint dealers, professional association like Grill Enterprises, OSH related groups and trade unions and general public towards eliminating leaded paint.

Popularization of lead paint standard as well as customization of 8th GAELP Campaign materials for 2020 in Nepali language, its mass distribution, media campaign, organize workshop on “Prevention of Lead Exposure and Effective Implementation of Lead Paint Standards” jointly with all the four provinces through ZOOM Webinars and maximum use of electronic mass media (Radio and Social Media etc.) has been proposed and completed in in Nepal in line with the celebrating of the 8th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action, October 25 to 31, 2020, called by GAELP. This is the completion reports of all above said activities successfully completed in Nepal with technical and financial support from WHO.

Objectives

Celebration of 8th Internation Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in Nepal through organizing series of mass media, awareness raising, and interaction programs were having following objectives.

Main objective is to raise awareness and built capacity to prevent lead exposure through elimination of leaded paints in Nepal.

The specific objectives were as follows:

  1. Collection & Customizing the GAELP Campaign Materials 2020 [Posters, Flier, info graphics, materials and distribute to all events (Kick off press meet, stakeholder workshop with Four provinces No. 1, 2, 3 (Bagmati) and 5 (Lumbini) and wide dissemination.
  2. Organize an ILPPW 2020 Kick Off and National Level Interaction Program to kick off the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (ILPPWA 2020) on 22th October 2020 on October 22 (due to national holiday on 25th October) through ZOOM.
  3. Organize an awareness raising and capacity building program on "Prevention of Lead Exposure and Effective Implementation of Lead Paint Standards” with three provinces: 1, 2, and Lumbini during the ILPPW 2020 through ZOOM.
  4. Mass awareness through prepare, production and broadcasting of Radio PSA and social media messaging on BLL & Lead paint standard from national most popular FM Radio Station (Kantipur)  

Full Report of ILPPW 2020 can be download. Narrative Report to WHO on ILPPW 2020

Radio PSA on Lead Paints Standards can be listened and downloaded.  

[audio mp3="http://cephed.org.np/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/RADIO-PSA-ILPPW-2020-CEPHED-Nepal.mp3"][/audio]