Sikhumbuzo Moyo [email protected]
NEARLY six million Zimbabwean children are at risk of lead poisoning, while between three and four children are estimated to have elevated blood lead levels, according to figures cited by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
EMA principal officer for quality Mr Last Hwengwere presented the figures during a stakeholder awareness workshop in Bulawayo on Statutory Instrument 82 of 2026, which prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of paints containing excessive levels of lead.
He said the regulations were prompted by worrying health data, assessments of the economic impact of lead exposure and market research into lead levels in paints.
“The drive to enact statutory controls was compelled by alarming epidemiological data, economic impact evaluations, and market research,” said Mr Hwengwere.
He said research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 5.7 million children in Zimbabwe were at risk of lead poisoning, while UNICEF estimates cited at the workshop indicated that three to four children had elevated blood lead levels.
Mr Hwengwere said lead exposure also carried a significant economic cost, with an estimated US$425 million lost annually in lifetime economic productivity, excluding healthcare and social costs.
Meanwhile, EMA education and publicity manager Mrs Amkela Sidange said enforcement of the new regulations would begin in May next year.
The regulations set limits on lead content in paint and coating materials, with the aim of reducing exposure to the toxic metal, particularly among children.
The need for tighter controls was highlighted by a 2022 study conducted by the University of Zimbabwe and the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), which examined lead levels in locally manufactured paints.
The study found that 70 percent of the oil-based paints sampled from the market contained dangerous levels of lead, with some samples exceeding the permitted limit by more than 100 times.
Lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, kidneys and reproductive system. Children are particularly vulnerable, with exposure potentially causing developmental delays and other long-term health complications.
People can be exposed to lead through ingestion or inhalation, making the control of hazardous substances in commonly used products such as paint an important public health measure.
