The 6th annual International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action took place from October 21-27, 2018. The “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” (AWHHE) NGO joined the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and other organizations around the world to promote banning lead paint and to raise awareness of the activities of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint. Within the framework of this initiative AWHHE implemented the following activities, supported by IPEN:
- Applied to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia for reconsideration of the lead content in paints. According to the RA Minister of Health, the draft of technical regulation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) “On Safety of Varnish Materials” is currently undergoing a review procedure, during which the Ministry of Health of Armenia proposed to ban the use of lead and lead pigments in varnish materials.
- Printed and distributed the materials created by AWHHE on the topic of lead paints (250 copies of booklets, 80 copies of posters).
- Organized seminars in the schools of Aygavan, Mushakan, Ararat and Vosketap, as well as in the schools No. 134 and 176, “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educational Complex (SNPO), Kindergarten No. 98 and Polyclinic of “Surb Grigor Lusavorich” Medical Center of the city of Yerevan.
- Created an article on lead poisoning to be published in 4 local electronic and print newspapers of Hrazdan, Dilijan, Stepanavan and Yeghegnadzor cities.
- Took part in the Webinar, organized by IPEN and the ՛՛Eco-Accord՛՛ on October 25, with participation of several NGOs from Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). During the Webinar, the expert from AWHHE gave a presentation on the activities initiated by AWHHE during the Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. The participants discussed a number of issues, including the importance of monitoring the lead content in the paints, the role of the legislation in the regulation of the lead content, the selection of safe paints, and the economic aspects of regulation of the lead content in paints. Particular attention was paid to the legislative and economic issues related to the production, import and export of lead paints.