Zamfara State, rich in mineral deposits including gold, experienced its first major lead poisoning epidemic in 2010 in Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas, resulting in about 400 deaths, mostly children. The poisoning was linked to unsafe artisanal gold mining practices where gold ore with high lead content was processed in residential areas. A second epidemic in Yar-Galma village seven years later killed many children under five, with contamination occurring through soil and dust exposure. Despite a ban on illegal mining, the practice continues, leading to another outbreak in Bungudu local government area.
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