Protecting future generations from E-waste: Policy gaps and WHO's call to action.

E-waste is a major global problem, with India producing 1.71 million tonnes annually, over 90% handled informally. Children and pregnant women face serious health risks from unsafe processing methods including open burning and acid leaching. Documented harms include impaired brain development, respiratory illness, immune dysfunction and DNA damage. Current awareness among health professionals and policymakers is low despite existing e-waste management rules. The document calls for urgent action including training, biomonitoring, prohibition of child labour and integration of e-waste risks into child health programmes.

Key points

• Globally 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste were generated in 2019, with only 17.4% formally recycled
• India is the world's third-largest e-waste generator, producing 1.71 million tonnes annually with over 90% handled informally
• Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable due to rapid growth and immature organs
• Documented health effects include impaired neurodevelopment, poor birth outcomes, respiratory illness, endocrine disruption and DNA damage
• Awareness among paediatricians, policymakers and parents remains limited despite existing E-Waste Management Rules

Limitations

This document is a policy call to action rather than an empirical study, so it does not provide quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of any specific intervention or detailed epidemiological data on the prevalence of e-waste-related health problems in children. The specific health impacts cited appear to be documented in the literature but are not systematically reviewed or quantified in this report.