As the world marks world earth day, Pure Earth, the global think-tank that focuses on raising awareness on environmental pollution has held a durbar to draw attention to key environmental challenges like lead and mercury pollution across the country.

The event, which drew more than 200 students to the Assembly Hall of the Labone Senior High School in Accra, highlighted the work that the organisation is doing with partners like the Ghana Health Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address some of these environmental challenges.

Country Director for Pure Earth Ghana, Esmond Quansah disclosed that through Pure Earth’s Toxic Site Identification Project (TSIP), the organisation had discovered more than 205 toxic sites across the country with excessive heavy metal pollution such as Lead and Mercury.

This, he said, has serious consequences for the health of the citizenry especially children and young people.

As the world marks this important day, Pure Earth seized the opportunity to remind state actors and all other stakeholders within the country’s health sector to begin tangible steps aimed at reducing these risks.