Lead Contamination Prevention: CASE Organizes Awareness and Heart Screening Campaign

From October 18 to 24, 2026, the Centre Africain pour la Santé Environnementale (CASE), in partnership with the NGO LEEP, ran media awareness activities and school-based screening as part of an international campaign against lead poisoning. Organizers said one child in three worldwide has elevated blood lead levels; tests in Abidjan through 2025 found lead contamination in one in three homes tested and concentrations above 90 ppm in two of every five paint samples. CASE’s 2026 tests found lower concentrations in 21 of 74 paint samples, although some paints still exceeded the 90 ppm threshold set by ECOWAS. CASE urged authorities to sign an order limiting lead in paint and warned that deteriorating or renovated paintwork can contaminate homes.