A joint study by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and UNICEF has found widespread lead exposure among toddlers in high-risk urban locations, with roughly four in 10 children aged 12–36 months testing positive for elevated blood lead levels. The Express Tribune reported the findings, based on tests of more than 2,100 children in industrial or high-risk neighborhoods across seven cities: Haripur, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, and Rawalpindi.
Prevalence varied sharply by location. The highest rate was recorded in Hattar, Haripur, where 88 percent of tested children had elevated lead levels, while Islamabad showed about 1 percent prevalence. The study stresses that children absorb lead far more readily than adults and that there is no safe level of lead for young children.
Health consequences outlined in the report include stunted growth, anaemia, weakened immunity, and serious, often irreversible impacts on brain development such as lower IQ, shorter attention span, memory damage, and greater risk of learning and behavioural problems.
Federal health authorities described protecting children from lead as a national public health priority and called for urgent, coordinated action across health, environmental, and regulatory systems. Officials said the government will work on improving surveillance, enforcing standards, and integrating prevention measures into child health programmes.
The study points to likely exposure sources based on global evidence: industrial emissions, informal battery recycling, lead-based paints, contaminated food and spices, and traditional cosmetics. It also notes persistent gaps in regulatory enforcement, monitoring, and public awareness. The Express Tribune cited broader estimates suggesting the burden could be much larger nationally, and UNICEF reiterated its commitment to strengthening evidence, environmental health measures, and multi-sector responses to protect children from lead.
