22 April 2015
Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint Announces 2020 Elimination Goal
Photo Credit: Joey Huang / Unsplash
story highlights

The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP) has announced a goal of eliminating lead paint internationally by 2020.

The announcement was made on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day, during a celebration in Washington DC, US.

WHO UNEP18 April 2015: The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP) has announced a goal of eliminating lead paint internationally by 2020. The announcement was made on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day, during a celebration in Washington DC, US.

Paint containing high concentrations of lead can cause lead poisoning, and is especially dangerous to children and pregnant women. Lead exposure is estimated to cause 143,000 deaths per year in developing countries. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), lifelong impacts of lead poisoning include reduced IQ, learning disabilities, hypertension and seizures. Despite cost-effective and readily available substitutes for lead paint, the use of lead is still permitted in some countries.

GAELP is an initiative led by UNEP and the World Health Organization (WHO) to phase out the manufacture and sale of paints containing lead. [UNEP Press Release] [Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint] [WHO GAELP Webpage]

related posts