US Embassy in Addis Ababa
Press Release
Addis Ababa, December 6, 2024: The Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MOH) and Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) observed “National Lead Poisoning Prevention Day” at the Best Western Plus in Addis Ababa. There they convened over 100 stakeholders from across the Ethiopian government, the private sector, and international donors to address ways that they can better work together to mitigate lead poisoning in Ethiopia. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the event, and USAID Ethiopia Deputy Mission Director Eleanor TanPiengco was among the keynote speakers.
Primarily affecting people in low- and middle-income countries, lead poisoning can be devastating for families, communities, and national economies. Across the world, more people die as a result of lead poisoning every year than to HIV and malaria, combined. Even when it doesn’t result in death, exposure to sufficiently high levels of lead can cause lifelong complications that range from chronic kidney disease, to severe brain damage. Children with high exposure face developmental delays, while expecting mothers suffer an increased risk of reduced fetal growth, preterm births, and stillbirths. These impacts, devastating for families, also have the cumulative effect of throttling economic development. The consequences of lead exposure are estimated to cost developing economies at least $1 trillion annually in lost productivity.
USAID has made combatting lead poisoning one of its top three global health priorities. In September of this year USAID and UNICEF launched a $150 million-backed Partnership for a Lead Free Future (PLF) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. By being one of the first 20 countries in the world to sign on to this new framework, the Government of Ethiopia demonstrated their commitment to eliminating lead poisoning for the Ethiopian people. Their work to drive collaboration at the Ethiopian National Lead Poisoning Prevention Day is one more demonstration of this commitment—one which USAID is proud to support.
Proven methods exist to almost completely eliminate lead poisoning. By working together to build commitment across ministries and stakeholder groups, the Government of Ethiopia has taken an important step towards making that a reality.
To learn more about the #Ethiopia_US120 Years of Partnership visit: U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia : https://et.usembassy.gov/
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