ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
FIGURE 2
Lead Content of Drinking Water of Some Urban Areas of Ethiopia
Jimma
30
Abiy-Adi
53
Midre Hagua
70
Addis Ababa
80
Jigjiga
450
Inda Selassie
700
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Lead Level in Drinking Water Samples (ppb)
Note. Each of the values was collected from published literature: Jimma (Getaneh et al., 2014), Abiy-Adi (Mebrahtu & Zerabruk, 2011), Midre Hagua (Asfaw, 2024), Addis Ababa (Endale et al., 2024), Jigjiga (Belew et al., 2024), and Inda Selassie (Mebrahtu & Zerabruk, 2011).
and regional contributions toward global efforts to eliminate lead poisoning. Core accomplishments of the Ethiopian Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition include: • Creating a multidisciplinary cadre of inter- ested parties to build on previous efforts to regulate lead paint and the safe recycling of ULAB. • Providing awareness and a call to action among Ethiopian governmental agencies. • Disseminating lead exposure prevention and education materials and banners in local languages. • Promoting the development of an advocacy and knowledge hub within the Ministry of Health. • Collaborating with international organiza- tions known for lead poisoning prevention (e.g., UNICEF, Pure Earth), which resulted in increased in-country staffing. • Emphasizing the strengthening of policy and regulatory frameworks by urging the ratification of the two draft directives for
environmentally sound management of lead-acid batteries and other battery types. • Developing work plans to prioritize core activities among interested parties. • Facilitating a high-level 1-day event for governmental leaders with financial sup- port from GIZ and USAID to further unite public, private, and civil society behind the importance of addressing lead poisoning. • Engaging the public in the global annual lead poisoning prevention week in Ethiopia. • Enabling the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Health in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian EPA to integrate lead expo- sure prevention into community engagement and maternal and child health programs to reduce environmental lead exposures. • Advocating for lead prevention staff- ing in Ethiopian ministries and within UN agencies. • Advocating for ministerial leaders from Ethiopia to attend the PLF launch at the UN General Assembly in New York.
• Leveraging funding from the PLF to address the prioritized areas identified by the Ethiopian lead coalition.
Lessons Learned, Recommendations, and Future Directions
Peer-reviewed studies, sampling estimates, and informal assessments from countries such as Ethiopia highlight the burden lead exposure places on children, with lead levels exceeding even previously recognized maxi- mum thresholds (Rees & Fuller, 2020). This toll contributes to a widening educational attainment gap between children in Ethiopia and children who live in high-income coun- tries (Crawfurd et al., 2023). A recent study of lead exposure in Ethiopia found that it impairs cognitive development in children and contributes to cardiovascular disease in adults (Larsen & Sánchez-Triana, 2023). The probability of exposure in docu- mented vulnerable populations, combined
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Volume 89 • Number 4
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