Access to information on lead poisoning in Anka Local Government in Zamfara State (Published)
Lead poisoning is a global problem in the 21st Century. It cause permanent brain damage, kidney disease, nephropathy, seizure, coma and even death in some cases (Mousa, 2015). Lead exposure accounted for 494,550 deaths and loss of 9.3 million disability-adjusted life each year (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), 2015). The highest burden is in low and middle-income countries. IHME also estimated that lead exposure accounted for 12.4% of the global burden of idiopathic developmental intellectual disability, 2.5% of the global burden of ischemic heart disease and 2.4% of the global burden of stroke. Exposure to lead contaminated soil and dust resulting from mining has caused mass lead poisoning and multiple deaths of people in Nigeria, Senegal and other countries (WHO, 2017). The problem is more prevalent in Zamfara state especially in Bagega of Anka local Government Area where hundreds of lives are lost on annual basis. Bagega and its environs are part of the region where active artisanal gold mining is being carried out in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Thus, the poisoning outbreak is very severe in the region. During the period of lead poisoning outbreak, a joint research was conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Blacksmith Institute (BI) and World Health Organisation (WHO). It was revealed that out of about 120 children examined, 96% were found to show life threatening Pb concentrations in their blood (Galadima, 2012).
Keywords: Anka Local Government, Information, Lead Poisoning, Zamfara State