A recent joint study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has revealed alarming levels of lead contamination in several everyday products in Ghana exposing children and pregnant women to severe health risks.
The nationwide study, which sampled consumer products from all 16 regions, found significant traces of lead, a toxic heavy metal in commonly used items such as traditional cosmetics, food condiments, and household materials.
This was announced in a released statement by UNICEF in Accra.
Lead, though naturally occurring and widely used in industrial processes such as battery production, paint, and ceramics, is highly poisonous.
Health experts warn that even minimal exposure can cause irreversible damage to the brain and vital organs especially among children, pregnant women, and women of childbearing age.
The study identified traditional eyeliner, locally known as kaji kaji or kholi, as one of the most contaminated items with about 80 per cent of tested samples containing dangerously high lead levels, some exceeding permissible limits by tens of thousands.
The study suggested that cosmetics were often applied to children’s eyes by mothers, believing it enhances brightness and beauty.
It also saw another common source of exposure as white baked clay, locally referred to as shire, ayilor, or farinkasa, which was widely consumed by pregnant women to ease nausea.
The study revealed that 24.6% of samples contained lead, with the North East and Greater Accra Regions recording the highest contamination rates.
In the food category, turmeric powder and the local cereal mix tom brown were also found to contain unsafe levels of lead.
The study also said about 42% of turmeric samples tested positive for high contamination, especially in the Greater Accra (84.52%), Central (75%), and Bono (60.5%) Regions.
Similarly, 4.4% of tom brown samples, mostly from the Eastern Region, showed elevated levels of lead.
The report further highlighted that old plumbing systems and cookware also contributed to lead exposure as the metal could leach into drinking water or be inhaled during cooking.
According to UNICEF, the findings presented an urgent call for coordinated national action to protect the health and development of Ghanaian children.
The organization urged government agencies and stakeholders to take immediate steps to raise public awareness about the dangers of lead in traditional cosmetics and foods, strengthen regulatory enforcement to improve product safety, and promote routine screening for lead exposure especially among children and pregnant women.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Government of Ghana and partners to eliminate lead exposure and safeguard the wellbeing of children across the country.
