Prime Minister Reaffirms Georgia's Commitment to Lead-Free Future in Panel Discussion
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, January 18, 2024
At the invitation of USAID Administrator Samantha Power, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili participated in a panel discussion titled "Towards a Lead-Free Future". The discussion took place within the Davos Economic Forum.
During his address, Gharibashvili underscored the critical challenge of lead poisoning for the global public health system. He highlighted that, according to surveys conducted in 2018 by UNICEF with support from the USA, 41% of children aged two to seven had blood lead levels exceeding acceptable thresholds. In response, the Georgian government promptly implemented measures to mitigate and prevent lead poisoning. The national response package, initiated in 2019 with support from UNICEF and USAID, featured a comprehensive awareness campaign.
"In order to identify the sources of exposure, we have started the assessment of environmental conditions within the same program. These interventions resulted in speed improvements indicating the effectiveness of the response package. And in the fourth year of the lead response program implementation, we have observed a remarkable, 75% decrease in the prevalence of blood lead levels among children in the region. In order to sustain these achievements, Georgia has bolstered the regulatory framework, considering the lead-containing products aligned with EU Association Agreements. Since July 2023, we have implemented a string of technical regulations, controlling the manufacturer, sale, and import of construction paints.
Legal limits have been set to govern the production, sale, and input of paint with higher lead concentrations. Additionally, to address potential risks, Georgia has enhanced its regulatory framework concerning lead migration in toys. Relevant regulation in force since 2021 focuses on ensuring the safety of toys, incorporating legal limits to govern the production, sale, and import of toys with high lead migration. We are also actively working on establishing government regulations to ensure the safety of these products, aligning with EU legislation and following the WHO recommendations. In order to improve the ambient air quality monitoring in the country, we have started continuous 24/7 sampling and analysis of heavy metals, including the content of lead in major cities. The current results show that ambient air pollution may not be considered as a source of lead exposure," Garibashvili stated.
The Prime Minister expressed Georgia's gratitude for significant support from international entities, partners, and friends, such as USAID, UNICEF, WHO, Germany, and the Arctic University of Norway. Additionally, he emphasized that Georgia actively participates in the European environment and health process, demonstrating the country's commitment.
"Georgia has been fortunate to receive substantial support from international entities, partners, and friends, such as USAID, UNICEF, WHO, Germany, and the Arctic University of Norway. This support is directed towards strengthening chemical by monitoring, building laboratory capacity, establishing surveillance models, developing communication campaigns, and training human resources. Importantly, our active involvement in the European environment and health process showcases our commitment.
Georgia is steadfast in his commitment to strengthening both human and technical capacities. We aim to further develop our lab surveillance systems, conduct thorough research on sources of lead poisoning, Implement effective mitigation strategies, and contribute progressively to the reduction of the burden and lead exposure.
To conclude, the World Economic Forum provides us with a unique opportunity to reinforce and elevate our collective political commitment to a shared vision - a world free of lead poisoning; adopting rigorous monitoring, strict regulations, and fostering international collaboration is Georgia's commitment to address lead poisoning comprehensively. And I believe that in the united global community, we can achieve greater results, ensuring a healthier and more prosperous future for generations worldwide," Gharibashvili said.
