As part of the 2023 Lead Poisoning Action Week, which ran from October 22 to 28, the Non Governmental Organization Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE) Cameroon organised a press conference at the organisation’s headquarters in Yaounde with the aim of informing journalists about the health and environmental risks associated with exposure to lead, a toxic metal found in most of our everyday products.
According to YVE’s Executive Director Blondel Silenou, it is important for public authorities and international organisations to invest more in this fight by supporting initiatives from small organisations like YVE Cameroon and others.
“Lead is a silent poison that affects the development of children’s brains, causing behavioural disorders and kidney, heart and neurological diseases. So we need to raise public awareness and promote safer, more environmentally-friendly alternatives”, he said.
The press conference served as the launch pad for an awareness campaign that will tour local media and 10 primary and nursery schools in the city of Yaoundé.
Actions are also underway on social networks, in particular WhatsApp forums and other digital media, to reach a wide audience. In this way, the NGO hopes to contribute to the prevention and reduction of lead poisoning.
