Inside a crowded mechanic enclave in southern Ghana, “Kojo” bends over a damaged vehicle battery with his bare hands. Dark dust covers nearby tools. Acid stains mark the floor as s
The report indicates that inside a crowded mechanic enclave in southern Ghana, “Kojo” bends over a damaged vehicle battery with his bare hands. Dark dust covers nearby tools. Acid stains mark the floor as sparks fly from welding machines and engines roar around him.
It further notes that for many years, this has been his daily routine. “I started this work when I was young,” he says. “It is how I raised my family.”
Kojo is not his real name. His identity and exact location are being withheld for safety and privacy reasons.
Every day, he repairs, opens and charges old vehicle batteries, exposing himself to lead substances and dangerous chemicals. Yet like many informal workers, he does the job without gloves, masks or protective clothing.
Instead, he relies on simple personal habits he believes reduce the risk. “Before I leave the workshop every day, I bath,” he explains. “I also do not allow my children inside the shop. If they come around, they stay outside.”
But health experts say those precautions are not enough. Lead is a toxic metal that can enter the body through contaminated dust, polluted surfaces or unwashed hands. Long-term exposure can damage the brain, kidneys, nerves and blood system. It is linked to headaches, fatigue, memory loss and high blood pressure.
In busy mechanic yards like Kojo’s, the danger is often invisible. Food vendors move through the area selling tea, rice among others while workers eat close to battery waste, engine oil and chemical residue.
Experts say exposure can happen gradually over many years without workers realizing the damage being done to their bodies.
Lead is commonly associated with industrial activities such as mining, battery recycling and smelting. But health specialists warn it can also be found in paints, pipes, contaminated soil, cosmetics, jewellery, spices, toys and some traditional medicines.
Because of its widespread presence, experts describe lead poisoning as a growing but largely overlooked public health crisis.
In Ghana, the problem remains a major public health concern. Although awareness about the dangers of lead is gradually increasing, experts say public understanding of common exposure sources and warning signs remains low.
“There is no safe level of lead exposure,” health experts stress.
They also warn that there is no cure for lead poisoning, while treatment options for many of its long-term health effects remain limited in Ghana. Experts say all cases of lead exposure are entirely preventable.
Globally, the health burden linked to lead exposure continues to rise. Globally, the health burden linked to lead exposure continues to rise. Research published in The Lancet Planetary Health estimated that lead exposure caused about 5.5 million adult cardiovascular disease deaths worldwide in 2019. More recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data estimated about 3.5 million deaths in 2023 alone, excluding some stroke-related cases linked to lead poisoning.
