Health workers are worried over the increasing levels of lead pollution found in blood samples collected from children under the age of five in Ashaiman ‘Fita Line’, in Accra.
Many of these children are at risk of brain damage as most health facilities are not adequately equipped to test for lead contamination.
GHOne news reports that, pregnant and lactating mothers who are most affected by lead pollution continue to be exposed to these harmful chemicals as a result of the activities of scrap dealers in Ashaiman.
30 year old Munira Malik is seven months pregnant and has been living at Ashaiman fita line community for seven years. Despite her condition, she is forced to come into contact with all forms of pollution as a result of the activities of scrap dealers.
‘’I fear for my unborn baby, we are forced to deal with all forms of chemicals here. The scrap dealers dispose off the lead from used car batteries in our gutters which seeps into our homes.’’
Munira had never heard of lead pollution until recently. Lead from used batteries, oil from engines, and burning of car tyres are among the many toxic chemicals residents here in FITA LINE come into contact with daily.
Like Munira , another resident Sukaina Inusa, is already fed up with the constant exposure to lead. She laments how her nine month old son always tries to consume the lead from used car batteries.
‘’When you complain, some will insult you. You will see him trying to lick the lead, when it rains the residue comes into our homes.’’
These young mothers both live in Ashaiman, a densely populated slum area located in the greater Accra region.
Many here are migrants who have settled down here hoping for a better living outcome.
Many however end up working as Kayayei and scrap dealers.
The activities of the scrap dealers contribute to high levels of pollution in the area.
A recent study by UNICEF and PURE EARTH GHANA (an environmental health NGO), shows that one in 3 children around the world are lead poisoned. But in Africa countries like Ghana were documentation is lacking the numbers may be higher. Health experts say, lead pollution in Ghana has become a public health concern.
Technical director at Pure earth Ghana, Wilson Baku explains that, samples of soil, blood and other products taken for lead testing showed high levels of lead pollution. ‘’Ashaiman has very high levels of pollution, numbers were as high as 40/37 microgram per deciliter but the accepted number should be below 5 micrograms per deciliter.’’
Childhood lead exposure is estimated to cost lower and middle income countries like Ghana almost one trillion dollars due to lost economic potential of these children over their lifetime.
But most health facilities are not adequately equipped to test for lead contamination. Ashaiman municipal health promotion officer, Eliet Atsu Masamaka says health professionals will need to be proper resourced for vigorous testing and detection.
Sources of lead exposure in Ghana include paints, some cooking pots, informal recycling of used lead acid batteries, some local eye liners known in local parlance as Kooli or Kaaji kaaji among others.
Experts are calling for a stronger implementation of environmental protection laws by stakeholders including the Environmental Protection Agency to minimize emissions from lead based factories into the environment.
Back at Fita Line in Ashaiman, 30 year old Zakari Iddrisu who has been in the scrap dealing business for over five years, now understands the dangers of his actions, but says he does not have an alternative source of livelihood.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Nadima Umar Uthman
