About 10-15 cases of poisoning by paint fumes are recorded in Moldova each year. Some 14-20% of the over 70 such cases logged in 2016-2020 involved children. In such a case, lead as an etiological factor with a potential risk to human life is not excluded. This year, there were reported seven cases of poisoning by paint fumes, including in a child, the National Public Health Agency has said in connection with the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week that is celebrated on October 24-30, IPN reports.
The Republic of Moldova is one of the countries in which control over the production, import, sale and use of lead paint and similar covering materials is not mandatory from legal viewpoint. However, sanitary regulations for limiting lead in paint and similar covering materials are to be approved in the near future. The regulations were worked out by experts of the National Public Health Agency in concert with the interested authorities.
Activities to raise awareness of the necessity of globally eliminating lead painting through regulation measures will be carried out this week. Even if the noxious effects of lead are broadly recognized and many countries took measures to regulate the use of paint and similar covering materials, exposure to high levels of lead, especially among children, remains a major preoccupation for healthcare service providers and public health specialists all over the world.
