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Eliminating lead paint matters! | October 2025
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Introduction
The Alliance is pleased to present its October 2025 newsletter in which we share updates about the ongoing work to phase out lead paint worldwide, including new lead-related resources, updates on progress towards laws, and lead paint in the news. We are also excited to share the dates and theme for the 2025 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Please mark your calendars for 19-25 October, when the global community will come together to promote awareness and action on lead exposure with the theme No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure.
In recent months, lead has experienced growing prominence in global environmental, health and research forums. As one clear indicator, member countries at the World Health Assembly in May adopted a resolution that affirmed the global health sector’s commitment to addressing lead exposure and acknowledged the work of the GAELP in bringing together more than 100 partners to prevent children’s exposure to lead paint and minimize occupational exposure. We continue to see progress towards eliminating lead paint at the national level, including the passage of new regulations, the advancement of draft rules, and the convening of key government authorities. We are also thrilled to announce 5 new members of the Alliance.
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 The new 4th edition of “Exposure to lead: a major public health concern: preventing disease through healthy environments” is now published by the World Health Organization, found here.
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International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) (19-25 October 2025)
The thirteenth ILPPW will be held 19-25 October 2025 with the theme “No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure’. More information on this year’s ILPPW and social media resources can be found here. Organizations are encouraged to register their events held that week as part of the ILPPW; please follow this link to register an event.
Last year, the twelfth iteration of the event, which had the theme “Bright Futures Begin Lead Free,” underscored the unacceptable risks of lead exposure and the ongoing need for multisectoral and governmental action to protect children from lead poisoning. Organizations hosted 104 events across 52 countries (49% in lower-middle income countries), with the most common event types involving social media (65 events), advocacy (47 events), and media engagement (42 events). Globally, activities had a strong focus on children’s vulnerability, health and environmental effects, and the various sources of lead exposure. The general public (65 events), government officials (64 events) and nongovernmental organizations (61 events) were the most common target audiences. ILPPW 2024 generated 99 million impressions and 16,250 mentions across social media platforms. The most popular hashtags were #Exposure to lead and #Leadpoisoning.
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Towards a coordinated, multi-sectoral lead management approach in the Latin America and Caribbean region (30 October 2025)
On 30 October 2025, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the European Union is planning to facilitate an online regional consultation on lead sources and management in Latin America and Caribbean countries, following a similar initiative in Africa and Asia-Pacific. The consultation aims at assessing the feasibility of a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach by LAC countries to manage lead exposure. More information will be provided shortly here.
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Alliance Extended Global Advisory Council meeting (27-28 February 2025)
 On 27-28 February 2025, the Alliance convened a meeting of the Extended Global Advisory Council to gather input on future priorities. Members emphasized the need for stronger global action on lead paint, including adopting and enforcing regulations, improving compliance and testing capacities, and increasing technical support and training. Key priorities included engaging with industry and global conventions, banning lead chromate trade, raising consumer awareness, and conducting more health and economic research. Members also stressed the importance of integrating lead paint initiatives into broader efforts to reduce lead exposure through whole-of-government strategies, cross-sector collaboration, policy alignment, and outreach to local authorities and end-users.
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Lead in Paint Community of Practice (27 March 2025 and 25 September 2025)
On 27 March 2025, the Lead in Paint Community of Practice (LiP CoP) hosted a public webinar to discuss the topic ‘Reformulation: Accelerating the Transition to Lead-Free Paints’. Presentations included: Charles O. Okadia (Chemsols Ltd, Kenya on the technical aspects of reformulating paints; Progress Nyoni (Astra Paints, Zimbabwe) on the experience and learnings from a large paint manufacturer concerning their recent shift to lead-free paints; Dr Meda (ANSSEAT, Burkina Faso) on the role of governments in supporting manufacturers to reformulate; and finally María José Isaza (Acoplásticos, Colombia) on initiatives led by industry associations to promote reformulation of lead paints. The webinar was attended by stakeholders from industry, government, IGOs and civil society.
On 25 September 2025, another LiP CoP webinar was held, with the theme ‘Preparing for International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) 2025’. The webinar generated ideas for how best to take advantage of ILPPW to drive progress on the elimination of lead paint. It included presentations from a range of stakeholders sharing learnings from previous impactful events that have taken place during the week, as well as offering an open forum for attendees to share and improve ideas for what they are planning, to benefit from the shared experience of the community.
Sign up to this form to join the Lead in Paint Community of Practice and be notified of upcoming events and activities, such as discussion sessions.
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World Health Assembly (19-27 May 2025)
 With broad support, countries adopted Resolution WHA78.27 galvanizing global support for a lead-free future, which recognizes the work and progress of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, and affirms the global health sector’s commitment to eliminating lead exposure. WHO will now work with countries, relevant United Nations specialized agencies and other relevant stakeholders to develop a global action plan on lead mitigation, including consideration of measures to adapt health systems to address health problems related to lead exposure, to strengthen the global health sector’s response to lead exposure in keeping with the interlinking “action areas” set forth in WHO’s Chemicals Road Map.
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First Annual Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure (3-4 June 2025)
 On June 3–4, 2025, the Center for Global Development, in collaboration with the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future (PLF), hosted its inaugural Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure in Washington, D.C. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, and funders for a dynamic exchange featuring over 40 presentations focused on the impact of childhood lead exposure and effective strategies for prevention and mitigation. The meeting recording and poster gallery are available online, as well as a summary blog post.
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First Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) for the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) (24-27 June 2025)
 Identifying and acting on Issues of Concern (IoC) are key mechanisms of the GFC. During the first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) for the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC), stressing the numerous significant sources of exposure to lead, some member states, UN agencies and civil society organizations supported expanding the scope on lead beyond paint to include other areas of exposure, as in the proposal co-sponsored by Ghana, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Uganda (UNEP/GFC/OEWG.1/CRP.1). Some delegations proposed retaining lead in paint as its own issue of concern and that broadening the scope beyond paint be nominated and adopted as a new issue of concern at the first International Conference in 2026. Detailed information on the discussions is available here.
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Towards a coordinated, multi-sectoral lead management approach in low- and middle-income countries: Consultations in Asia-Pacific region (10 July 2025)
 The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the European Union and Ministry of the Environment of Japan, facilitated an online regional consultation on lead sources and management in Asia-Pacific countries, following a similar initiative in Africa. The consultation aimed at assessing the feasibility of a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to manage lead exposure. Objectives included sharing information on current lead management efforts and needs, identifying major sources of exposure and existing regulations, showcasing country-level strategies, and discussing barriers and opportunities for implementing coordinated lead reduction actions across sectors. The full report and meeting recording can be accessed here.
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Towards a Lead-Free Future: Mobilizing to End Childhood Lead Exposure, UN General Assembly (UNGA) (23 September 2025)
 During the UNGA, the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future brought together high-level representatives from government, international organizations, and philanthropies to discuss what is needed technically, politically and financially to achieve a future free of childhood lead poisoning, and to accelerate action and investment towards this goal. The recording of the event can be viewed here.
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GAELP Welcomes 5 new members
The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest partners: the Advanced Study Institute of Asia, the Community and Family Aid Foundation, the Corporación Peruana de Productos Químicos S.A. (QROMA), Monopol Ltda, and the School of Public Health, University of Nevada. These organizations join over 100 partners who have committed to help catalyze the efforts of a diverse range of stakeholders to achieve international goals to prevent children's exposure to lead from paint and to minimize occupational exposures to lead paint. More information is available from the Alliance website on how to become a partner and a sample letter of intent to join the Lead Paint Alliance.
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Update on Alliance Business Plan
Building on the consultations from the Extended Global Advisory Council meeting, UNEP and WHO have revised the Alliance Business Plan, which is currently in the process of publication. The business plan priorities for up to 2030 focus on eliminating lead in all types of paint through a combination of legal, industry, and advocacy efforts. Key goals include supporting governments in establishing and enforcing laws to restrict lead paint; encouraging industry to cease its manufacture, import, and sale; and raising awareness of the health and environmental risks posed by lead paint and lead chromates. The plan also emphasizes engaging Alliance partners and expanding stakeholder involvement across sectors, while coordinating with international initiatives such as the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future and the Global Framework on Chemicals to align efforts and access funding opportunities. Indicators have been developed to track and assess progress in implementing the Business Plan. Once published, the Business Plan – Addendum 2025-2030 can be accessed here.
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Launch of new Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative to Reduce Lead Poisoning
 WHO and LEEP are implementation partners in a new Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative to Reduce Lead Poisoning. This initiative will work with governments and partners to address lead poisoning by identifying and removing key sources of exposure to lead; improving testing and surveillance measures to understand the extent of lead poisoning; and supporting non-legislative policies and enforcement to regulate key sources of lead.
WHO will be developing a comprehensive technical package on lead poisoning prevention in collaboration with another implementation partner, Resolve to Save Lives. WHO will also assess and strengthen the capacity of poison centres to detect and manage cases of lead poisoning, including for procuring antidotes. In collaboration with another implementation partner, Vital Strategies, WHO will support country-level implementation of the WHO Guideline for clinical management of exposure to lead, including adaptation to country-specific contexts, in some of the highest-need countries in Asia, Africa, and South America. WHO will also prepare and disseminate public communication materials and training materials to raise awareness of lead poisoning amongst health professionals and the general public.
LEEP's role in this initiative focuses specifically on providing technical assistance to government agencies and paint manufacturers on lead paint elimination. This includes continuing to conduct paint studies, working with governments on regulation and enforcement, and engaging with manufacturers to support reformulation. This initiative will enable LEEP to significantly expand its paint+ programs across 50 African countries over the next two years, continuing to employ and strengthen its 5-step approach in countries where it is already working, while also launching programs in many new countries. The grant also allows LEEP to undertake exciting work beyond the national level, including supporting standards and regulations development at the regional level, facilitating regional workshops, and investigating how to increase access to lead-free raw materials in international supply chains.
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Notifications of final regulatory action for lead chromates may be considered at a future meeting of the Chemical Review Committee of the Rotterdam Convention
 As published in the Rotterdam Convention’s Database of Notifications of Final Regulatory Action in June 2025, Switzerland submitted a notification of final regulatory action severely restricting a broad range of lead compounds, including pigments (such as lead chromates), corrosion inhibitors, and lead soaps. The final regulatory action prohibits the placing on the market of paints and varnishes containing 0.01 % or more by mass of lead, as well as articles treated with such paints and varnishes.
Notifications of final regulatory action to severely restrict lead chromates submitted by Cameroon and Morocco were published in December 2024. Morocco’s final regulatory action prohibits the use of lead chromates as intentional ingredients in paints and, in effect, prohibits the import and manufacture of paints that contain lead chromates as pigments. Cameroon’s notification of final regulatory action prohibits the use of lead chromates as intentional ingredients in paints and, likewise, prohibits the import and manufacture of paints that contain lead chromates as pigments.
As notifications on lead chromate have been submitted by Parties from two of the prior informed consent (PIC) regions (Africa and Europe), they may be considered at a future meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) of the Rotterdam Convention. The CRC reviews notifications of final regulatory action on chemicals as well as proposals for listing severely hazardous pesticide formulations according to the criteria set out by the Convention in Annexes II and IV, respectively, and makes recommendations to the Conference of the Parties for listing such chemicals and formulations in Annex III.
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New Compliance Monitoring Reports on Lead in Paint in India and Thailand
 In May 2025, Toxics Link and IPEN published a compliance monitoring report which presents new data on the total lead content in solvent-based decorative paints in India. The report showed that 90% of 51 analyzed decorative enamel paints and spray paints, mostly from micro-, small- and medium-sized manufacturing industries (MSMIs), contained lead levels above 90 ppm. In addition, 76% of paints contained extremely high lead concentrations at 10,000 ppm or more. The highest lead concentration detected was 250,000 ppm in a yellow enamel decorative paint, while two lead-containing paints from one brand were falsely marked as “lead free” despite containing 81,000 ppm and 26,000 ppm lead levels. The report strongly underlines the need to strengthen compliance monitoring and stringent enforcement of the “Regulation on Lead Contents in Household and Decorative Paints,” which entered into force in 2017.
 In July 2025, the Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH) and IPEN organized a press conference to publicize a compliance monitoring report on the lead content of solvent-based paints in Thailand. The report showed that 20% of 55 analyzed decorative paints, anticorrosive paints, spray paints, and industrial paints contained lead concentrations above 100 ppm—the regulatory standard in paints in Thailand. Furthermore, 13% of paints contained extremely high lead levels above 10,000 ppm. The highest lead concentration detected was 64,000 ppm in a yellow decorative enamel paint, while three paints had misleading “lead free” or “no added lead” claims despite containing lead levels between 25,000 ppm and 41,000 ppm. While the number of leaded paints decreased after the mandatory standard on lead in paint was adopted in 2017, the report provides a strong justification to strengthen compliance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure adherence to Thai Industrial Standard (TIS) 2625-2557.
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BOLIVIA The National Program on Persistent Organic Pollutants (PRONACOPs), the SAICM focal point within the Ministry of Environment and Water (MMAyA) of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, participated in the presentation of the results of the study on lead in paints in the Bolivian market, conducted by LEEP and shared during the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in October 2024 by PAHO Bolivia. To date, PRONACOPs has taken the lead in establishing the Technical Committee, which has been developing a draft technical regulation to control lead content in paints. This regulation is now in its final stage and will soon be presented to the paint industry for consultation.
BURUNDI On March 26, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism made five East African Community (EAC) paint standards mandatory in Burundi through Ministerial Ordinance No. 750/1228, based on recommendations from the Burundi Bureau of Standards and Quality Control (BBN). These standards set a 90 parts per million (ppm) limit for lead in most paints and apply to all paints manufactured, imported, marketed, or stored in Burundi. The ordinance follows engagement by LEEP, including a 2024 paint study that found residential paints with lead levels exceeding 90 ppm.
CAMBODIA UNEP is continuing its collaboration with the Ministry of Environment of the Kingdom of Cambodia to support the enactment of national lead paint legislation. A representative from the Ministry shared updates on this progress during UNEP’s Asia-Pacific regional consultation, with detailed information available here.
CHINA In May 2025, the National Technical Committee for the Standardization of Coatings and Pigments published two China national standards on architectural coatings (GB 30981.1-2025) and industrial coatings (GB 30981.2-2025). The two new standards, which replaced two existing standards on architectural coatings and five existing standards on industrial coatings, will be implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology beginning June 1st, 2026. Toxics-Free Corps, an IPEN NGO, submitted inputs to the standards and provided the Alliance with updates about the status of the development of the standards. This led to the Alliance, through UNEP, submitting its own comments to the draft standards in December 2024.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) On July 25, 2025, the Office Congolais de Contrôle (OCC) and LEEP, with support from the Ministries of External Trade, Health, and Industry, held a multi-stakeholder workshop in Kinshasa on eliminating lead in paint in the DRC. The workshop examined the health and economic impacts of lead paint and explored legal and technical measures, including introducing a binding lead limit aligned with WHO recommendations. Following the discussions, key priorities were identified: OCC will work with LEEP to finalize an ongoing paint study and strengthen national control capacity for regulatory enforcement, while the Ministry of Industry, with LEEP's support, will advance drafting of the lead paint regulation.
MEXICO The Ministry of Health, through COFEPRIS (the Federal Committee for Protection from Sanitary Risks), is in the process of reviewing mandatory Mexican Standard on Paints and Varnishes (NOM-003-SSA1-2006). COFEPRIS, which leads a Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of other government agencies, the industry, civil society, and scientists, aims to revise the standard’s total lead limit to 90 ppm from 600 ppm, and update labeling requirements of paints, inks, varnishes, lacquers, and enamels. Casa Cem, an IPEN NGO, participates in the TWG.
NIGER On July 18, 2025, the Government of Niger adopted a decree establishing a legal limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) of lead in all paints manufactured, imported, sold, or used in the country. This regulation follows engagement by LEEP, including a 2023 paint study conducted with the Government of Niger that revealed paints with dangerously high lead level.
PERU In October 2024, the General Directorate of Environmental Health (DIGESA) of the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with LEEP, conducted a market study in Lima revealing that 16 out of 55 paint samples (29%) exceeded the legal lead limit of 90 ppm, with some containing concentrations as high as 130,000 ppm. The results were shared at a multi-sectoral workshop in December 2024, where five leading manufacturers pledged to reformulate their products to be lead-free. On June 3, 2025, the Ministry of Health advanced this effort by approving and publishing Supreme Decree No. 007-2025-SA, which grants a 12-month compliance period for decorative paints and an 18-month period for industrial paints, in accordance with Law No. 31182, the “Law for the Protection of the Health and Physical Integrity of People from Lead Content in Paints and Other Coating Materials,” enacted in May 2021. See more details here.
SIERRA LEONE In March 2025, the Government of Sierra Leone passed the country’s first legally binding regulation limiting total lead content in paint to 90 parts per million (ppm). The regulation applies to all paints manufactured, imported, sold, or used in Sierra Leone and will be enforced by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA-SL) starting in March 2026, following a one-year grace period for industry transition. The measure builds on a 2024 national paint study conducted by EPA-SL and Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), which found that 23.6% of paints tested contained hazardous levels of lead, with most high-lead samples being imports.
ZIMBABWE On 10 July 2025, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and LEEP held a multi-stakeholder workshop in Harare to review the first draft Prohibition of Lead in Paint and Coating Materials Regulations, which would set a legally binding 90 ppm lead limit for paints. EMA will now revise the draft based on feedback, and following one more final online comment period, submit it to the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife for consideration.
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In the News: Lead Paint and Other Sources of Lead Exposure
These articles do not necessarily reflect the views or work of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint.
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Information and Action to Address Health Effects of Lead Exposure
Human health risk assessment of lead exposure from soil ingestion in a French pilot study: insights from the application of a new bioaccessibility approach
Madeleine Billmann et. al, Springer Nature Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 8 Mar. 2025
Toxic Exposures and Women’s Health: Emerging Research and Global Solutions
Pure Earth, 13 Mar. 2025
The assessment of blood lead levels and its risk factors amongst primary school children in Maseru district, Lesotho
Napo Julius Molahlehi, Master of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, 2025
Lead Poisoning and its Devastating Impacts on Early Childhood Development
ARNEC and Vital Strategies, 26 Mar. 2025
Cumulative population blood lead levels
Richard Fuller et. al, BMJ Global Health, 26 Mar. 2025
Lead exposure and cognitive skills in a developing country evidence from toxic sites in Indonesia
Asian Development Bank, Apr. 2025
Toxic Lead Paint Pigment Exports from Rich to Poor Countries
Centre for Global Development, 9 Apr. 2025
Airborne lead exposures during artisanal lead mining and gold ore processing in Zamfara, Nigeria
Manti M. Nota et. al, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 5 May 2025
Potential of Red Seaweed Juice in Reducing Blood Pressure and Lead Levels in Urine in Workers at Public Fuel Filling Stations
Evi Kusumawati et. al, Biology, Medicine & Natural Product Chemistry, 9 May 2025
Children Are Being Poisoned Because of Bureaucratic Inertia
Centre for Global Development, 19 May 2025
Elevated Blood Lead Levels in a Pregnant Woman and her Family from Traditional Kansa (Bronze) and Pital (Brass) Metalware
Paromita Hore et. all, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 22 May 2025
Machine learning and explainable artificial intelligence to predict and interpret lead toxicity in pregnant women and unborn baby
Priyanka Chaurasia et. al, Front. Digit. Health, 30 May 2025
Lead Exposure and Preeclampsia
Pure Earth, 9 Jun. 2025
Lead Chromates, Pigments in Lead Paint, on the Agenda for Global Regulation
IPEN, 11 Jun. 2025
New York City's surveillance system identified lead-contaminated Georgian spices as a source of poisoning
Standford Social Innovation Review, 12 Jun. 2025
Lead-Induced Nephrotoxicity and Its Therapeutic Interventions: An Updated Review
Ankit Kumar Bharti & Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan, Biological Trace Element Research, 13 Jun. 2025
Interdisciplinary Assessment of Children’s Lead Exposure in Residential Areas Degraded by Mining (Upper Meža Valley, Slovenia)
Bavec et al., Exposure and Health, 14 Jun. 2025
Beyond mining: A pioneer attempt to assessing lead exposure risks in Nigeria
Gift Fabolude, Elsevier Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Jul. 2025
How Worried Should Expats Be about Lead Exposure?
Centre for Global Development, 3 Jul. 2025
Lead-attributable productivity losses in low- and middle-income countries
Bret Ericson and Mary Jean Brown, Health Economics, Policy and Law, 3 Jul. 2025
Potential lead exposure from aluminum cooking pots in lower and middle-income countries
Gordon Binkhorst et. al, Elsevier Journal of Hazardous Materials, 15 Jul. 2025
Lead exposure in homes as modifying factors of blood lead levels among young children in Bihar, India
Emily Nash et al., Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 29 Jul. 2025
Lead systemic toxicity: A persistent problem for health
Adriana Gonzalez-Villalva et. al, Elsevier Toxicology, Aug. 2025
A review of lead exposure source attributional studies
Christopher Kinally et al., Science of the Total Environment, 15 Aug. 2025
A simple kit to detect extractable lead concentrations in soil
Samantha S. Moura et al., Geoderma, September 2025
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