Steps from the United Nations General Assembly, a collection of presidents, first ladies, and prime ministers gathered to launch a $150 million partnership centered on lead exposure — an issue that affects 1 in 3 children across the world.
Lead exposure is something that rarely rises to the top of the global health agenda. But at UNICEF’s New York headquarters on Monday afternoon, the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, a politically star-studded announcement, aimed to change that.
“Parents give their children toys so that they can learn and play. They prepare meals with everyday cookware to keep their family fed. All the while, dangerous amounts of lead seep into their lives, and the consequences are irreversible,” said U.S. first lady Jill Biden at the partnership’s launch event. “These children will never reach the full potential they were born with because lead poisoning is so pervasive. But it's a problem we can solve.”
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
