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- CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, September 5
CGD Lead Poisoning Bi-weekly Update, September 5
Theo Mitchell & Rachel Bonnifield
September 05, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
Sharing here CGD’s bi-weekly update on lead poisoning publications, events, job opportunities, and funding announcements.
We welcome submissions for future newsletters at this link. New subscribers can sign up at this link, and existing subscribers can remove themselves from future updates via the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. We will also invite the new subscribers to join our monthly check-in call.
With best wishes,
Rachel Bonnifield
Director of Global Health Policy and Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development
New Publications and Resources
Preventing lead (Pb) contamination in rural community water systems in LMICs through analytical screening, policy and standards enforcement, and supply chain interventions. Roy et al. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. Finds 57% of handpumps and 100% of water taps in Ghana exceed the global "lead free" standard (0.25% Pb by weight) in a pXRF survey. While LMIC supply chains are vulnerable to Pb contamination, switching to "lead free" stainless steel is feasible and somewhat cost-effective (overall costs increased ≤2%).
Beyond mining: A pioneer attempt to assessing lead exposure risks in Nigeria. Fabolude et al. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. Develops a lead exposure index for Nigeria that estimates regional lead levels from common risk factors. The index was designed to be expanded globally by using easily accessable data like road density and Google Trends. However, results cannot be validated until compared to a national BLL survey .
Evaluation of Lead Concentrations in Blood Samples from Donors in a Tertiary Hospital Located in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Uku et al. International Journal of Research and Reports in Hematology. Finds average blood lead levels of 35.94 µg/dl among 250 blood donors in a hospital in the Niger Delta.
Upcoming Events
During the 2025 UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future will host a high-level breakfast event, Toward a Lead-Free Future: Mobilizing to End Childhood Lead Exposure. Global leaders will convene to ask the question: What will it take—technically, politically, and financially—to achieve a lead-free future for children? The event will be livestreamed here. September 23, 2025 (7:15am - 8:45am EDT).
Also during during UNGA in New York, Pure Earth and Vital Strategies are hosting Making a Lead-Free Future a Reality, a conversation and cocktail reception with global organizations to celebrate progress and discuss continued needs in lead-affected countries. September 22, 2025 (5:30pm - 7:30pm ET). Space is limited. RSVP to [email protected].
Funding Oppurtunities
The Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) is launching the Local Action Fund 2025, offering grants of up to $3,000 to government and civil society organizations for activities during and after the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) that support the elimination of lead in paint and other consumer products. The dealine for application is September 12, 2025 (23:59 UTC). Find the application form here.