Pure Earth has been named a grantee of The Audacious Project, securing a major multi-year investment to support governments in more than 20 countries in reducing childhood lead poisoning at scale and protecting over 500 million children by 2033.
Lead poisoning is estimated to affect one billion children worldwide, impairing brain development, limiting learning, reducing lifetime earnings, and increasing the risk of lifelong illness. More than 90% of affected children live in low- and middle-income countries. Lead exposure also contributes to poor maternal and newborn health outcomes and raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, leading to an estimated 3.5 million premature deaths annually, exceeding the combined toll of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.
Through The Audacious Project funding, Pure Earth will partner with governments and organizations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to strengthen national systems aimed at preventing lead exposure. The initiative will help countries generate nationally representative blood lead level data, identify primary sources of exposure such as contaminated consumer products and unsafe lead recycling practices, and implement targeted, government-led interventions including regulatory reforms and environmental remediation.
The global economic burden of lead poisoning is estimated at $6 trillion annually, nearly seven percent of global GDP. Lead exposure is also estimated to account for more than 20% of the learning gap between children in high- and low-income countries.
The initiative aligns with growing global momentum to end childhood lead poisoning through the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, launched in 2024 to coordinate governments, funders, and implementing organizations around a shared roadmap. Early backing from Bloomberg Philanthropies and Coefficient Giving has helped catalyze international action to address what advocates describe as one of the world’s largest preventable environmental health threats. The work supported through The Audacious Project is expected to both advance and benefit from this broader movement.
Pure Earth’s approach builds on decades of evidence demonstrating that coordinated national action can significantly reduce lead exposure. Following the phase-out of leaded gasoline, the United States reduced children’s blood lead levels by more than 75 percent, generating substantial economic benefits through improved cognitive outcomes and productivity.
The Audacious Project, launched in 2018 and housed at TED, supports large-scale, systems-changing initiatives across issue areas. Since its inception, the collaborative funding platform has catalyzed more than $7 billion for 70 projects globally.
KEY QUOTES
“Lead poisoning is entirely preventable, yet it continues to harm children on a massive scale, with exposure levels often unmeasured and unaddressed. This Audacious investment allows us to build on more than 25 years of experience and expand partnerships with governments to establish durable national systems that reduce exposure and protect generations of children.”
Drew McCartor, President of Pure Earth
“For more than two decades, Pure Earth has quietly but powerfully built the infrastructure for change. Their approach combines scientific rigor with practical delivery and reflects the actual needs of affected countries. The potential impact of this initiative is profound and goes beyond public health, touching virtually every major development goal, and over time unlocking significant untapped educational, and ultimately economic potential.”
Ambassador Samantha Power, Former Administrator of USAID
“Through our recently launched Lead Poisoning Prevention Initiative, we are helping governments strengthen policies, expand testing and surveillance, and eliminate the most dangerous sources of lead. The Audacious Project’s new investment in Pure Earth builds on a shared focus on strengthening government capacity, and together these efforts can accelerate progress and scale solutions to deliver lasting health benefits for communities globally.”
Dr. Kelly Henning, Public Health Programs Lead at Bloomberg Philanthropies
“Pure Earth occupies a rare and essential role in the global lead ecosystem. They are uniquely capable of supporting governments end-to-end, from national surveillance and exposure source identification to regulatory and behavioral change. Pure Earth has been one of our most significant and longest-standing grantees in this space, and we are pleased to continue our collaboration by joining The Audacious Project funders to help expand this critical work.”
Dr. Tom Hird, Coefficient Giving (Formerly Open Philanthropy)
