Some of the biggest players in global health have teamed up to tackle lead — a poison that kills nearly 1 million people every year, but has been largely overlooked in global health priorities.
The Partnership for a Lead-Free Future — which was launched in 2024 by the U.S. Agency for International Development and UNICEF, with financial backing from philanthropic donors such as Open Philanthropy and the Gates Foundation — aims to raise global attention, leadership, and resources to support low- and middle-income countries to end childhood lead poisoning by 2040. It currently involves 30 governments and 36 civil society organizations, foundations, multilateral and private organizations. Their plan: support country-led initiatives to phase out lead in consumer products, promote safe industrial practices, and protect communities vulnerable to lead poisoning through knowledge sharing, evidence gathering, and policy change.