IHRDA Files Major Case on 100-years old Kabwe Lead Poisoning Before African Children’s Rights Body
Banjul / Lusaka – 16th April 2026 – The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), together with affected families, has filed a Communication before the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) against the Republic of Zambia over the ongoing lead poisoning of children in Kabwe.
The case seeks accountability and urgent remedies for decades-long and continuing violations of children’s rights caused by severe environmental contamination linked to historical and ongoing mining activities in Kabwe, one of the most lead-polluted towns in the world.
Despite repeated warnings, studies, and recommendations from African Union and United Nations human rights bodies, children in Kabwe continue to be exposed to dangerously high levels of lead. This exposure has resulted in irreversible harm, including cognitive impairment, stunted growth, learning difficulties, chronic illness, and, in some cases, death. New mining and processing activities have further aggravated the crisis, deepening children’s exposure to toxic waste.
The Communication alleges violations of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, including the rights to the best interests of the child, health, survival and development, education, and leisure and play.
“For generations, children in Kabwe have been forced to grow up in a toxic environment that no child should ever be subjected to,” said Dr Musa Kika, Executive Director of IHRDA. “This case is about ending a cycle of neglect and demanding concrete, child-centred action. The science is clear, the harm is undeniable, and the State has been on notice for years. Children cannot continue to pay the price for inaction.”
Through this case, the applicants are asking the African Committee to find the Republic of Zambia in violation of its obligations under the African Children’s Charter and to order urgent and comprehensive measures, including:
- The immediate containment and elimination of sources of lead contamination in Kabwe, including the suspension of hazardous mining and waste-processing activities;
- Comprehensive, compulsory, and sustained lead testing and treatment for all children in Kabwe, supported by adequate medical supplies and functioning testing facilities;
- Long-term environmental remediation of contaminated soil, schools, homes, and play areas;
- Special protection and support measures for affected children, including access to appropriate education and health services;
- Accountability, transparency, and effective oversight of mining activities to prevent further harm.
The applicants stress that incremental and short-term interventions have failed to protect children and that only a holistic, rights-based response can address the scale and severity of the crisis.
“This is a test of whether children’s rights truly come first when weighed against economic interests. The future of Kabwe’s children depends on decisive action, not promises,” adds Dr. Musak Kika.
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child is the African Union body mandated to monitor and enforce States’ obligations under the African Children’s Charter.
ENDS
For media inquiries, please contact:
Dennis Wangai Njoroge
Communication and Publications Officer
Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)
Tel: +220 331 7344 | +254 746129297 (WhatsApp)
Email: dnjoroge@ihrda.org
Maïmouna Jallow
Communication and Publications Manager
Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA)
Tel: +220 331 7344 | +34 608 919 919 (WhatsApp)
Email: mjallow@ihrda.org
Notes to Editors
- The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is an independent African Union treaty body mandated to monitor implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child by AU Member States. It has the authority to receive and decide on complaints (Communications) concerning violations of children’s rights.
- A Communication is the formal legal process for bringing a children’s rights case before the African Committee — it is how you file a case at the African Union level when children’s rights are being violated.
- The Communication was filed by the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) together with affected families, on behalf of children living in Kabwe.
- The case challenges the State’s failure to adequately prevent exposure, provide sustained treatment, and eliminate sources of contamination, despite long-standing national, regional and international warnings and recommendations.
