All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur and Pahlé India Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a ground-breaking study to assess blood lead levels in children and their impact on cognitive and mental health across India. The MoU was formally signed by Dr. Prashant P. Joshi, Hon. Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Nagpur, and Dr. Ishan Joshi, Director, Programmes and Partnerships from Pahlé India Foundation at AIIMS Nagpur in the presence of Dr. Jyoti E. John, Professor and Head Department of Biochemistry, and Principal Investigator of the project; Dr. Meenakshi Girish, Professor and Head, Department of Paediatrics, Dr. Nitin Marathe, Joint Medical Superintendent and  Associate Professor, Hospital administration from AIIMS, Nagpur and Dr. Jyoti Yadav, Assistant Director, Programmes and Fellow, Pahlé India Foundation.

Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal and exposure to lead has been previously known to cause psychiatric, behavioural and neurological deficits. Given widespread sources of possible lead exposure like adulterated spices (specifically turmeric), dyes used in non-organized food industries, batteries, paints, old pipelines, toys, contaminated soil, water, even vegetables etc. it is imperative to study the levels of lead in Indian population. Focusing on children is even more important as in early life the developing brain is more susceptible to hazardous effects of lead. It is perceived that the exposure to this toxic heavy metal is much higher in Indian population than usually perceived. The study is expected to help estimate average blood lead levels as well as prevalence of high lead levels in Indian Paediatric population. It will also help to understand sociodemographic and environmental factors which may lead to increased lead levels in children. The result of the study can prove to be groundbreaking evidence to government agencies for sculpting policies to curtail lead exposure.

The MoU has been signed for conducting a study on Assessment of Blood Lead Levels in Paediatric population and to evaluate its effects on Cognitive and Mental Health. The study will include Principal Investigators and co-investigators from seven AIIMS across India: AIIMS Nagpur, AIIMS Raipur, AIIMS Jodhpur, AIIMS Patna, AIIMS Bibinagar, AIIMS Kalyani, and AIIMS Mangalagiri. The study will be conducted over a duration of approximately 18 months. The teams of various Departments from these institutes will collaborate to evaluate the blood lead levels and to provide a comprehensive understanding of lead exposure, a pressing public health concern, particularly for children in India. The study will include approximately 13000 children across India for which funding of approximately 3 Crore 8 Lakh rupees will be provided by Pahlé India Foundation.

The other co-investigators from AIIMS, Nagpur are Dr. Suchita Mundle, Professor and Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from AIIMS, Nagpur; Dr Suyog Jaiswal, Additional Professor and head Dept. of Psychiatry; Dr. Dnyanesh Amle, Associate Professor, Dept. Of Biochemistry; Dr Nishant Banait, Associate Professor, Dept. of Neonatology; Dr Rupali Rokade, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Paediatrics; Dr Aravind Gandhi, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Community Medicine and Ms. Shreya Anjali, Public Health Specialist, Pahlé India Foundation.