By Zeineldin Elmikaty, 22-year-old, Egypt
I am Zeineldin Elmikaty, a 22-year-old medical student in Alexandria, Egypt, and an activist in public health with the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA). In my clinical rotations at the toxicology unit in Alexandria University Hospitals, I have seen firsthand the damaging impact of avoidable environment-related health crises, namely, lead poisoning.
I can never forget when a little boy—no older than seven—was admitted to the toxicology department at Alexandria University Hospitals. His mother gripped his hand tightly; her face was one of horror. He was barely moving, his body heavy with exhaustion. His stomach hurt, his limbs felt floppy, and when he looked up, his eyes were glazed over with pain and weariness.
We did testing and, when the tests came back, it was worse than we had feared; his blood lead levels were dangerously high. His mother was shocked. She had never heard of lead poisoning and had no idea how her child had been exposed. After further discussion, we found out that she lived in an underserved neighborhood outside Alexandria, a few blocks from a small, unregulated workshop where old car batteries were broken down for parts. Every day, unknowingly, her son breathed in lead-tainted dust, played in contaminated soil, and ingested it through his hands and food.
His agony was completely avoidable, but he was not alone. In Egypt, lead exposure is a quiet but deadly crisis in public health. Around 25 million Egyptian children have blood lead levels higher than WHO’s threshold of concern, according to The Toxic Truth report. Children who labour in pottery workshops or informal battery recycling sites breathe toxic lead dust daily. Areas of Cairo designated for industrialization, such as Garbage City of Manshiyat Nasser, are known to be lead pollution hot spots. Despite this, Egypt does not have a national blood lead monitoring program, and interventions are still piecemeal. Without accurate data, targeted solutions are almost impossible, and millions of children continue to be exposed to lead.
In my clinical rotations at the toxicology unit in Alexandria University Hospitals, I have seen firsthand the damaging impact of avoidable environment-related health crises, namely, lead poisoning.
Zeineldin Elmikaty, 22-year-old, Egypt
As a medical student, I encounter these situations too frequently. I have been working with IFMSA, a global federation representing more than 1.5 million medical students and public health advocates, to promote the power of youth to raise their voices and influence policy around preventable health hazards. I recently addressed this in a webinar for the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, sharing my experiences and making a plea for urgent, evidence-based interventions. But international advocacy is only half of it; it starts in our own communities. We can do better by strengthening policies, enforcement and investment in protecting children from exposure to lead. A national blood lead screening programme should be established. Rules over informal recycling plants must be applied. Awareness efforts must be led by medical students and young advocates, as well as capacity building for the health sector. Parents and educators must be empowered with information to avoid lead exposure.
Lead poisoning is an invisible crisis, but one that is preventable in its entirety. If you are a medical student, a health policymaker or a concerned citizen, you have a role in addressing this crisis. It is possible for every child to have a lead-free future, but only if we take action now. Children must not suffer in silence anymore.
