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How is Zambia dealing with lead contamination?

How is Zambia dealing with lead contamination?

For over 30 years, the town of Kabwe has struggled with toxic lead from a former mine

Africa Daily · BBC World Service

April 3, 202521m 5s

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Show Notes

“It has made nearly every person, every mother, to have their child contaminated, because the lead levels are so rampant,” says Cornelius Katiti, a father from Kabwe, Zambia, whose three children are affected by lead poisoning. For decades, the town has struggled with remediating 6.4 million tonnes of toxic lead waste left behind by a former mine. A Human Rights Watch report shows 95% of children in affected areas of Kabwe have dangerously high lead levels. Cornelius, along with many others in the community, is left asking: who is responsible for the clean-up?

In today's episode, Alan Kasujja explores the ongoing environmental and health impacts of mining with Cornelius, an environmental chemist , and an environmental consultant.