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Nearly 40 per cent of children in Bangladesh have “worrying” levels of lead in their blood, according to a new study by UNICEF and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
It said, "Thirty-eight per cent of children aged 12 to 59 months (i.e. nearly four children in every 10) and nearly 8 per cent of pregnant women have blood lead levels above the safe limit."
Dhaka residents were the most severely affected, with 65 per cent registering levels above the safe limit, says a bdnews24.com report.
UNICEF says lead pollution poses a threat to children's brain development and impacts all socio-economic classes.
More than half of the affected children are from higher-income families, while 30 per cent are from lower-income families, the survey report says.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, released the preliminary results of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025 (MICS 2025) on Sunday, the most comprehensive survey of children and women in the country.
BBS Director General Mohammed Mizanur Rahman and UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Rana Flowers attended the event.
The survey, based on a sample of about 63,000 households, highlights the progress and challenges in the health, nutrition, protection and development of children.
The survey has highlighted 172 criteria and 27 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators in line with national priorities and global standards.