[Correspondence] Lead poisoning in southeast Asia: an urgent call for action

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Source: The Lancet

Original: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02460-2/fullt...

Published: 2026-01-10

Lead poisoning is described in the article as one of the most significant global, yet preventable, health threats, responsible for approximately 1.5% of all annual deaths worldwide. It significantly affects Southeast Asia, where more than 20% of all children in the world are exposed to lead. In the region, the burden is mainly concentrated in countries with lower incomes. In Thailand, 1.6% of children have blood lead levels above the WHO threshold of 5–3 μg/L, which is comparable to high-income countries. However, in neighboring Cambodia, an estimated 79.4% of children exceed the same blood lead concentration limit. The article points to a significant difference in the level of exposure between the individual countries of Southeast Asia. The authors thus emphasize the urgency of solving the problem of lead poisoning in this region.