During International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, we highlight the progress made in 2026 in health surveillance, household prevention, and consumer product enforcement, working alongside government institutions.
Lead exposure prevention in Peru is entering a new phase: moving from planning to the implementation of concrete actions. Throughout 2026, Pure Earth Peru has strengthened its work with public institutions to reduce exposure risks, with a particular focus on children’s health.
Addressing this challenge requires coordinated action. Lead can affect children’s cognitive development, and exposure can occur through various sources in everyday life, from cookware and toys to paints, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Identifying these sources, strengthening the government’s response capacity, and providing families with preventive information are essential steps toward reducing risks.
As part of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Pure Earth Peru is highlighting the main advances in its work across the country this year.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and Vital Strategies, and with support from the renowned pharmaceutical company Takeda, the project Strengthening Health Systems to Prevent Lead Exposure has entered its implementation phase at eight priority sites: Tumbes, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Tacna, Pasco, Callao, Cañete, and Lima Norte.
The initiative aims to reach 2,500 children under five and strengthen the capacities of more than 50 professionals from integrated health networks and regional health directorates and management offices (DIRESA/DIRIS).
Planned activities include epidemiological surveillance through sentinel surveillance and case follow-up, as well as environmental monitoring of potential sources of exposure, such as drinking water and residual soil or soil in parks. The project seeks to help health services establish the tools and procedures needed to respond to this issue more promptly and in a coordinated manner.
Pure Earth and the Ministry of Health launched Together Against Lead, a social media communication campaign aimed at families, with particular attention to protecting children and pregnant women.
The initiative aims to provide practical information to help families identify potential sources of exposure in the home and adopt preventive measures in their daily lives. Through educational content, the campaign highlights the importance of paying attention to the products we use and the environments in which children grow up, helping families make informed decisions and reduce preventable risks.
Pure Earth Peru is conducting pilot studies to identify new sources of lead exposure. The information collected is currently under review as part of the process leading up to the presentation and publication of the findings.
This work seeks to generate evidence that can help identify sources of exposure requiring attention and promote sustainable solutions, from improvements in technical regulations to stronger public policies aimed at preventing lead exposure and protecting public health.
Prevention also requires tools to identify potentially contaminated products and strengthen enforcement efforts. To this end, Pure Earth Peru has strengthened its collaboration with the Public Prosecutor’s Office through the donation of three portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers to support the assessment of consumer products.
These devices can be used to test for the presence of lead in items such as pots, toys, and children’s products, helping identify potential risks and providing information to support the work of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor’s Offices (FEMA) and the Crime Prevention Prosecutor’s Offices. The partnership also includes plans to strengthen prosecutors’ capacities through training and technical assistance.
This collaboration has also helped bring the issue to the attention of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors (AIAMP) General Assembly, held in Cusco, and promote dialogue with representatives from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. In this way, lead prevention is linked not only to public health, but also to consumer protection and enforcement.
Pure Earth Peru’s work also involves collaboration with stakeholders across different sectors to promote alternatives that can help reduce lead exposure. Working with health institutions, cooperation agencies, partner organizations, and businesses brings together technical expertise, expands the reach of interventions, and helps advance solutions that can be sustained over time.
Initiatives under this approach include promoting lead-free roofing sheets in partnership with KLAR, a company specializing in plastic construction materials, and lead-free paints in partnership with Qroma, a leading paint company in Latin America. This work also includes providing technical support to government institutions to strengthen their prevention strategies.
The progress made in 2026 reflects a key priority for Pure Earth Peru: helping translate lead exposure prevention into stronger institutional capacities, improved surveillance tools, more effective enforcement, and informed decisions at home.
“This year, we are taking important steps forward. We are turning technical work into concrete action, coordinating efforts to expand our ability to identify sources of exposure and protect the population. These advances lay the groundwork for scaling up prevention efforts and achieving a lasting impact on the health of future generations. We are very pleased with what we have accomplished and eager to achieve much more.”
Our organization will continue working to strengthen the response to this issue and promote safer environments for all Peruvians. We firmly believe that a Peru where every child can grow up free from lead exposure is possible. Today, we are taking concrete steps to make that vision a reality.
During International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, we highlight the progress made in 2026 in health surveillance, household prevention, and consumer product enforcement, working alongside government institutions. Lead exposure prevention in Peru is entering a new phase: moving from planning to the implementation of concrete actions. Throughout 2026, Pure Earth Peru… Read More Lead Pollution, Project Updates, Uncategorized, lead, lead exposure, lead mitigation, lead peru, lead poisoning, lead pollution, Peru The Pollution Blog [#item_full_content]