WEMECO and Media Partners Meet NEMA Leadership to Push for Lead-Free Uganda Ahead of Global Prevention Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA — Ahead of the upcoming International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (running October 18–24, 2026 under the theme "From Detection to Prevention"), the Executive Director of Western Media for Environment and Conservation (WEMECO), Mr. Peter Akugizibwe Araali, led a delegation of media partners to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

During the high-level engagement, NEMA Executive Director Dr. Barirega Akankwasah met with Mr. Akugizibwe to review progress on enforcing regulatory frameworks governing lead use in Uganda—particularly concerning toxic lead additives in decorative paints and industrial applications.

To cement the collaboration between environmental regulators and environmental communicators, Dr. Akankwasah handed over an official copy of the National Environment Act to Mr. Akugizibwe. Both leaders emphasized that robust statutory enforcement, combined with public awareness, is vital to shielding children and vulnerable populations from the irreversible neurological and developmental hazards of lead exposure.

"Uganda has already demonstrated that it can protect public health by successfully phasing out leaded petrol in the past," Mr. Akugizibwe noted. "We must now apply that same urgency to ban and eliminate lead in paints and consumer products. The science is settled—there is no safe level of lead exposure".

Dr. Akankwasah lauded WEMECO and the media fraternity for holding institutions accountable and driving grassroots education, reiterating NEMA’s commitment to strengthening chemical safety standards and inter-agency compliance under the law.

Background:

• The Threat of Lead Poisoning: Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, posing severe, irreversible harm to young children's brain development and cognitive functions. Even low levels of exposure can lead to lifelong health and behavioral challenges.

• International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW): Organized annually by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNEP, the 2026 campaign takes place from October 18 to October 24, 2026, under the global theme "From Detection to Prevention". It urges governments, industry, and civil society to identify hidden sources of lead and enforce strict, legally binding limits (such as a 90 ppm threshold for lead in paint).

• The Role of WEMECO & NEMA: Western Media for Environment and Conservation (WEMECO), headed by Mr. Peter Akugizibwe Araali, actively partners with media houses and civil society to campaign against toxic paint and environmental degradation in Western Uganda and nationwide.

NEMA, as Uganda's principal environmental regulator operating under the National Environment Act, continues to work with lead agencies and media watchdogs to enforce compliance and safeguard public health.