To protect the most vulnerable groups from environmental pollution risks, enhance community awareness, support preventive practices, and contribute to reducing the effects of lead poisoning, the Local Development Unit at the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS) organized a meeting to discuss the completion of the first phase of the project “The Impact of Lead on Public Health,” with a special focus on its effects on children and pregnant women.
The meeting addressed key challenges and achievements while launching the second phase of the project with new partnership mechanisms to strengthen efforts in this field.
More than 60 participants attended the meeting, including experts, consultants, members of parliament, academics, relevant government officials, deputy governors, media representatives, and civil society organizations.
Among the key participating entities:
The National Institute of Nutrition
Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University
Faculty of Medicine, Benha University
Ministry of Environment (Environmental Affairs Agency and Waste Management Department)
Ministry of Labor (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Social Solidarity
World Health Organization
National Council for Childhood and Motherhood
Ministry of Local Development
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to responsibility and their dedication to taking concrete, practical steps within their respective fields to support the implementation of the second phase action plan. They also emphasized the importance of continuing the approach used in the first phase while expanding the scope of targeted social, economic, and cultural groups. Additionally, they stressed the need for broader geographic coverage in awareness campaigns about lead hazards to limit its spread and reduce its impact on the most vulnerable populations.
