Pahle India Foundation successfully concluded the first International Convening of its kind, titled "Lead Poisoning in India: Status, Challenges, and Way Forward". Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former WHO Chief Scientist and Chairperson, MSSRF along with Ms Sweety L Changsan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the conference. They also launched five research reports undertaken by the research policy think tank with its partners, on various facets of the issue.

This hybrid event brought together 60+ experts, policymakers, scientists, doctors and representatives from multilateral institutions from the US, Bangladesh and across India to address the pressing but oft-ignored issue of lead poisoning. Panelists discussed the prevalence, sources, challenges of testing and the latest in research and innovations to tackle this public health crisis. This gathering of stakeholders was called to deliberate on the path forward and discuss the need for collaborative effort.

According to a 2020 report by UNICEF and Pure Earth, 275 million Indian children have lead levels over 5 μg/dL, the threshold for intervention set by WHO. Lead exposure led to an average loss of 6.7 IQ points per child in 2019, leading to a loss of $ 93 million in GDP for the country. It also caused the death of over 10 lakh adults from cardiovascular issues according to a report published in the Lancet in 2023.

Supported by Open Philanthropy and Vital Strategies as the knowledge partner, the convening featured insightful panel discussions, scientific presentations, and networking opportunities. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Philip J Landrigan, one of the world's most eminent lead experts from Boston College.

Dr Bhushan, Chair of the India Working Group on Lead Poisoning and Distinguished Fellow, Pahle India Foundation remarked in his Inaugural Address, “Because the extent of lead exposure is invisible, it has largely been overlooked in our country. A recent survey we conducted in Jharkhand revealed a distressing reality: a large majority of our doctors and health workers are not even aware of the issue of lead poisoning.”

He also said, “By the end of today’s convening, I hope we will arrive at a specific call to action—a plan that we can all commit to, and that will set us on the path to eradicating lead poisoning in India.”

Dr Swaminathan, former WHO Chief Scientist and Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation- "80% of our health depends on factors outside health sectors, like housing, air, sanitation etc.

That means it will take a whole systems approach to deal with a health issue like lead poisoning-it is not upto the Health Ministry alone, but will need a multisectoral approach."

Notable panelists included Dr. Howard Hu, Professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Dr M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi, Dr Santasabuj Das, Director, ICMR-NIOH and others. The panels were chaired by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Chairman of Pahle India Foundation (Former Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog) and Dr. Indu Bhushan, Chair of the India Working Group on Lead Poisoning (Distinguished Fellow, Pahle India Foundation).

The convening was a crucial first step in India's efforts to combat lead poisoning and protect its citizens. Participants pledged to continue working together to devise effective solutions to mitigate the effects of lead poisoning for the current and future generations of Indians.

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