Lead poisoning affects one in three children worldwide; it is thought to be responsible for upwards of 1.6 million deaths per year; and CGD researchers estimate that it accounts for roughly a fifth of the learning gap between rich and poor countries. While there have been notable successes in lead control, including the global phase-out of leaded petrol, exposure through other sources—including paint, spices, cookware, and battery recycling—remains widespread.
CGD has helped mainstream lead poisoning on the global development agenda, catalyzing awareness, funding, and political will for lead mitigation. CGD’s Working Group on Understanding and Mitigating the Global Burden of Lead Poisoning met from 2022 to 2023, bringing together leading lead experts and senior figures from development banks, philanthropies, aid agencies, civil society, and international organizations. In October 2023, the Working Group published its final statement, calling on global leaders to take immediate action to end childhood lead poisoning by 2040.
Since then, global attention and funding for lead mitigation have grown substantially, including via the September 2024 launch of the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future and major philanthropic commitments, collectively totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2025, CGD hosted the First Annual Research Conference on Global Lead Poisoning—the first ever global research convening focused exclusively on global lead poisoning. Additional annual conferences are planned for 2026 and 2027.
CGD experts in education, health, and development economics are continuing to pursue actionable research on the sources of lead exposure and potential mitigation solutions—helping ensure that new resources for lead mitigation have the greatest possible impact.
