PARTICIPANTS to the East Africa workshop on the development of national and regional regulations and standards on lead and paint have called for the harmonisation of rules and regulations of the lead paint in the region so that they reach one gram in one kilogramme.
Reading the workshop recommendations, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Senior Programme Officer, Eisaku Toda, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that participants also agreed on the need to amend the lead paint limit in the East African Community (EAC) paint standards.
“Participants acknowledged the leadership of EAC and the importance of harmonisation of the 90 ppm total lead limit for paint throughout the region in support of the continental free trade area,” he said.
Tanzania and Kenya national efforts were recognised during the meeting by being amongst the first to establish the lead limit for paints in all paints produced, sold, used and imported.
Moreover, he said, Tanzania agreed to develop a justification to amend the EAC lead paint standards by October, this year, while Kenya offered to explore hosting a regional harmonisation meeting to a draft amended EAC standards for lead in paints, next steps and timeline for finalisation.
Mr Toda said they also called for the need to come up with challenges on the implementation of the lead limit in paint but called on the importance of raising awareness among the public on the health and mental effects caused by the cumulative toxic in lead.
On her part, World Health Organisation (WHO) scientist, Ms Joanna Tempowski, called for global alliance on lead limit in paints as it has long time effects on health.
“The paints we have them in homes, schools, playgrounds, to name a few, thus a need a lead limit in paints as they pose for health effects, awareness should as well caters for the people working in the paint manufacturing companies, as they stand great risk,” she said.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Standards Manager, Ms Mary Meela, expressed the bureau commitment to involve stakeholders to ensure that in the next four years, the country will be free from lead in paints as it has been the case with petroleum.
EAC Secretariat Standards Expert, Ms Stella Apolot, said they are working out modalities on how to integrate the rules and regulations within the region so that they are harmonised.

Source: Daily News

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