The Water Institute at UNC, along with the African Ministers Council on Water and other partners, will be hosting a special event during the Stockholm International Water Institute's World Water Week to catalyze greater global action to prevent and mitigate lead exposure through drinking water.
Session Description: There is widespread lead contamination in drinking water supply systems throughout sub-Saharan Africa and other global settings at levels of human health concern. Since lead exposure can have profound and life-long impacts, immediate action must be taken to reduce lead exposure through drinking water. This interactive session will present the latest evidence on lead contamination in drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa and other global settings (sources, scope, and levels); review the health impacts of lead exposure; and discuss specific steps governments, international organizations, and development partners can take to prevent and mitigate lead exposure in drinking water. Country case studies, along with evidence-based strategies to detect and prevent exposure to unsafe products, such as plumbing products, will be presented. Opening remarks will be made by country and stakeholder representatives followed by a panel discussion by technical experts. Participants will then discuss challenges unique to their context with the goal of developing situation-specific responses.