Arsenic an emerging issue: experiences from Pakistan

Arsenic contamination has emerged as a serious public health concern in Pakistan. In Punjab over 20% of the population are exposed to arsenic contamination of over 10 ppb in drinking water while nearly 3% of the population are exposed to over 50 ppb. In Sindh, the situation is even worse with 36% and 16% of population exposed to arsenic contaminated water over 10 ppb and 50 ppb respectively. Both shallow and deep sources have arsenic contamination. A recent study on prevalence of arsenicosis confirmed presence of 40 cases in the study population giving a prevalence 140/100,00 for established and borderline cases. The purpose of this paper is to share experiences gained in implementing an arsenic mitigation programme in the country.