Nigeria must clear lead poison soil to avoid 'disaster', MSF says

November 15, 2012 in Health

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Thursday urged Nigeria to release funds promised to clean up an area where lead poison killed hundreds of children, warning that further delays could be "disastrous."

The lead poisoning crisis in northwest Zamfara state was called the worst such epidemic "in modern history" by Human Rights Watch, with an official saying 400 children were killed and thousands more affected.

In a new report, MSF called on Nigeria to release the pledged clean up funds before the end of November to ensure the was cleared before the next rainy season starts in April.

Remediation, or the process of removing the , cannot be carried out during the .

MSF said begining medical treatment before the remediation was complete would be "useless" because those treated would still face a high risk of re-infection.

According to the humanitarian group, Nigeria's federal government in May committed to providing 850 million naira ($5.4 million, 4.2 million euros), but has so far failed to deliver.

"If the funds are not released now, MSF's chance to treat the lead poisoned children of Bagega (in Zamfara state) will be drastically reduced," the report said.

Lead was dispersed in the several Zamfara areas by the processing of ore for gold extraction using unsafe mining techniques. Illicit is more lucrative than agriculture for the impoverished farming communities.

The extent of the poisoning in the area began to come to light in 2010.

Local communities had initially largely concealed or denied the fatalities and illnesses from lead poisoning for fear that authorities would ban their mining activities, MSF said previously.

Remediation has been carried out in some areas, but in the hardest hit village of Bagega and the surrounding communities "hundreds of children... continue to needlessly suffer the effects of lead poisoning."

If the clean up is not complete by April, it "could have for the community," MSF said.

(c) 2012 AFP

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Consumers largely underestimating calorie content of fast food

People eating at fast food restaurants largely underestimate the calorie content of meals, especially large ones, according to a paper published today in BMJ.

Health created 16 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

It's not your imagination: Memory gets muddled at menopause

Don't doubt it when a woman harried by hot flashes says she's having a hard time remembering things. A new study published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), helps confirm with o ...

Health created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Farm bill: Senate rejects GMO labeling amendment

The Senate has overwhelmingly rejected an amendment allowing states to require labeling of genetically modified foods.

Health created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

McDonald's can't shake criticism about nutrition

(AP)—McDonald's once again faced criticism that it's a purveyor of junk food that markets to children at its annual shareholder meeting Thursday.

Health created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Economic incentives increase blood donation without negative consequences

Can economic incentives such as gift cards, T-shirts, and time off from work motivate members of the public to increase their donations of blood?

Health created 4 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Statin use is linked to increased risk of developing diabetes, warn researchers

Treatment with high potency statins (especially atorvastatin and simvastatin) may increase the risk of developing diabetes, suggests a paper published today in BMJ.

Future doctors unaware of their obesity bias

Two out of five medical students have an unconscious bias against obese people, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study is published online ahead of print in the Journal of ...

WHO: Scientific red tape mars efforts vs. virus

International efforts to combat a new pneumonia-like virus that has now killed 22 people are being slowed by unclear rules and competition for the potentially profitable rights to disease samples, the head ...

Dual-source cardiac CT IDs CAD in hard-to-image patients

(HealthDay)—In patients who have previously been considered difficult to image, dual-source cardiac (DSC) computed tomography (CT) can identify clinically significant coronary artery disease, according ...

Controlling mood through the motions of mitochondria

(Medical Xpress)—Regulating the distribution of power in neurons is done by a system that makes the national electric grid look simple by comparison. Each neuron has several thousand mitochondria confined ...

When oxygen is short, EGFR prevents maturation of cancer-fighting miRNAs

Even while being dragged to its destruction inside a cell, a cancer-promoting growth factor receptor fires away, sending signals that thwart the development of tumor-suppressing microRNAs (miRNAs) before it's dissolved, researchers ...