Ministry targets 60 percent reduction in childhood lead exposure

2026-03-09 - 09:14

Lead poisoning, a serious public health concern and can have severe health impacts, particularly on children. In Bhutan, concerns around lead exposure have grown following findings from the 2024 National Blood Lead Level Survey, which revealed alarming levels of lead among children. Lead Focal Person, Karma Wangdi, said that Bhutan has seen an alarming rate of lead poisoning, which became evident following the findings of the Survey. Karma said the Ministry of Health (MoH) is currently working to initiate a National Lead Poisoning Prevention Strategy to address the issue. However, Karma noted that tackling lead exposure does not fall entirely under the MoH and requires the involvement of other relevant stakeholders. The 2024 National Blood Lead Level Survey found that 76 percent of children had alarming levels of lead exposure. Responding to the findings, Karma said the MoH aims to significantly reduce this number through the proposed strategy. “With the National Lead Poisoning Strategies, the MoH is aiming to reduce this number by 60 percent,” Karma said. Karma also highlighted the need for a stronger regulatory framework in the country to address sources of lead exposure. Karma explained that Bhutan currently lacks clear regulatory standards in certain areas, including permissible limits for lead. As a result, the MoH is working on developing such regulatory frameworks to strengthen monitoring and control. Karma further explained that the proposed National Lead Poisoning Prevention Strategy will focus on four key areas, including inter-sectoral coordination, surveillance of items entering the country through entry points, public awareness, and the management of lead poisoning by the health sector. “While presenting the strategies to the ministry, we received feedback and reviews, which we are addressing before submitting them to the Cabinet,” said Karma. The MoH aims to finalize the strategies within this year. The Ministry of Health received lead testing equipment and reagents worth USD 199,711 from UNICEF over the past three years (2023-2025). The MoH is currently developing a blood lead level assessment protocol to enable targeted screening of at-risk populations at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) from March 2026. The Ministry is exploring the introduction of routine lead testing services as well as screening mechanisms at Points of Entry to detect lead-containing products entering the country. The ministry is actively working with development partners for securing the required resources to integrate lead testing and screening into routine services.