Doctors and health workers in Liberia face a major gap: there are no hospital facilities for blood lead testing, and the EPA also lacks the necessary equipment. This means clinicians cannot confirm whether symptoms such as learning difficulties, seizures or developmental delays are caused by lead, and the true scale of exposure among children is unknown.
Concerns began after the EPA, supported by the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), found dangerous lead levels in both imported and locally manufactured paints. Stakeholder consultations started in 2019 and a technical working group formed in 2021. In January 2025 the EPA and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia signed Lead Paint Regulations that align with ECOWAS standards, capping lead in residential and decorative paints at 90 parts per million and giving manufacturers three years to move to lead-free production.
Because the regulation has not been published in the official gazette, it currently has no legal force: manufacturers are not bound, inspectors cannot enforce the limits, and unsafe paint remains legally available. Lead enters the environment from paint, batteries, plumbing, mining and recycling, and some workers such as car sprayers face prolonged exposure. Globally, estimates attributed more than 1.5 million deaths to lead exposure in 2021, and 2023 estimates place lead as the eighth largest cause of death.
The EPA says it has secured some funding and begun procuring lead-testing equipment, and an official estimated in-house testing within the next two quarters. Public awareness campaigns and formal gazette publication are still needed to protect children while testing and enforcement are put in place.
Difficult words
- clinician — A health professional who treats patients.clinicians
- gazette — An official government publication for legal notices.
- enforce — Make people follow a law or rule.
- exposure — Contact with a harmful substance or agent.
- procure — Obtain equipment or supplies, often by purchase.procuring
- stakeholder — Person or group with an interest in a process.
- align — Bring rules or actions into agreement with others.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How would publishing the regulation in the official gazette change enforcement and manufacturer behaviour? Give reasons.
- Which should be the priority now: buying testing equipment, running public awareness campaigns, or publishing the regulation? Explain your choice.
- What short-term measures could protect children and exposed workers while testing and enforcement are established?
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