Last May, Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD, presented a ministerial dialogue at the 77th Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) on how to prevent maternal and child exposure to toxic lead. The event, which brought together health ministers from around the world, highlighted the effects of lead exposure on learning, economic loss, and life-long health.

Until five years ago, lead exposure had been declining worldwide. This in part, was due to the removal of lead from gasoline, paint, and plumbing systems. In recent years, however, lead exposure in low- and middle-income countries has seen an uptick, likely due to the increasing use of lead in industry as well as the processing of lead in informal industries such as the dumping of electronic waste and the unsafe recycling of car batteries.

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