Madagascar is the latest African country to limit the sale of paints containing unsafe amounts of lead, a harmful heavy metal.
The new standard by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development outlaws paints with lead concentrations higher than 90 parts per million (ppm).
This is according to the latest update of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in paints, a partnership of governments, businesses and civil society campaigning against lead-based paints.
“The Malagasy public is not aware of the impact of lead paints on health and the environment. Public education will accompany the enforcement of the new standard for paints,“ said Rila Albani Rakotomanana, the Ministry’s Head of the Pollution and Chemicals Unit said in an interview.
Lead-based household paints are a major source of lead exposure to people in Africa. The exposure is linked to impaired mental development in children and elevated risks of miscarriage, stillbirth and foetal malformation. It also causes anaemia, kidney damage, hypertension, and reproductive impairments.
A June 2021 study on 59 household paint brands bought in the capital Antananarivo revealed that (61%) contained dangerous levels of lead, which is above 90 ppm by dry weight. Some samples had 10,000 ppm, which is over 110 times the recommended limit.
Less than a quarter of Africa’s 54 countries have legally binding limits restricting paints containing lead compounds.