In Batumi, Georgia, children like those of Maia's are being exposed to lead.
In 2019, within the Early Disease Detection and Screening component of the State Health Programme in the country, all the children who had participated in the MICS survey and had elevated blood lead levels, members of their family up to 18 years of age and pregnant women were offered free follow-up testing, treatment and relevant recommendations. Maia's family took advantage of this programme.
Paediatricians assessed the physical and mental development of children, evaluated nutritional status including vitamins, calcium and iron intake, and provided information about possible sources of lead exposures along with international recommendations. If the child’s blood lead level was at or above 5 μg/dL, the child was provided with iron and calcium supplements and multivitamins. Under the State Health Programme, family doctors, paediatricians and public health specialists were trained in early detection and management of lead exposure.
Watch this video to see the impact this programme had on Maia's family.
