By: Fatmata Grace Okekearu, Bo City
The Environment Protection Agency Sierra Leone (EPA-SL) has ramped up efforts to combat lead poisoning by hosting a one-day stakeholders’ dialogue as part of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025. The event took place on Saturday, October 25, at the View Point Hall along the Bo–Taiama Highway in Bo City.
Under the theme “No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure,” Mohamed Abdulai Kamara, Manager of Chemicals Control and Management at EPA-SL, described lead as a “powerful neurotoxin,” particularly harmful to children, capable of damaging the brain, kidneys, and nervous system.
Kamara revealed that, according to UNICEF, about 2.3 million children in Sierra Leone are affected by lead poisoning. He also noted that lead-based paints are still in use across homes, schools, and public buildings. To address this, the EPA has launched a national campaign titled “Lead-Free Sierra Leone: Protecting Our Future.” The campaign targets government institutions, schools, painters, and manufacturers through outreach, media engagement, and policy reforms.
Gibrila Kamara, Legal Affairs, Compliance, and Enforcement Officer at EPA-SL, shared that Sierra Leone enacted the Lead in Paint Regulations in March 2025, which will take effect in March 2026. These regulations set global standard limits for lead content in paint to protect public health without restricting trade.
He emphasized that several studies have shown that lead levels in some paints exceed acceptable limits, posing a serious public health concern. The meeting concluded with a call for stronger enforcement and continued awareness efforts to ensure a healthier, lead-free Sierra Leone.