Skoll World Forum Side Event: Improving the Health and Futures of Over 500 Million Children
April 22 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Fresh off the TED live stage as a 2025 Audacious Project finalist, Pure Earth President Drew McCartor will share a bold, global strategy to protect half a billion children from an invisible environmental health crisis, one that steals over 2 million IQ points from the next generation every day, lead poisoning. More than 90% of affected children live in low- and middle-income countries. Lead poisoning also contributes to an estimated 3.5 million deaths annually from cardiovascular disease—more than natural disasters, active wars, road accidents, HIV, and malaria combined.
Learn about the major sources of lead exposure from common consumer products to industrial practices and efforts currently underway to solve this global public health crisis. Top experts will present real-world case studies highlighting both challenges and proven, scalable solutions. 3X Grammy Award winner, Pure Earth Leadership Council member and UN Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Kej will guide the conversation and engage the audience throughout.
Featured speakers and experts include:
Drew McCartor (Pure Earth), Tanvi Monga (TED), Dr. Lucia Coulter (Lead Exposure Elimination Project), Lee Crawfurd (Center for Global Development), Dr. Chris Kinally (Pure Earth), Tom Hird (Coefficient Giving), Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet (Vital Strategies), Tammy Tan (Lead Research for Action) and Will Fitzgibbon (The Examination).
Following the session, guests are invited to bring a household item (i.e., traditional ceramic or aluminum cookware, kohl eyeliner, turmeric) for on-site lead testing using a portable analyzer and to engage directly with experts.
Who this is for
This session is designed for funders and philanthropists interested in high-impact, scalable global health solutions, as well as practitioners, researchers, and policymakers working in public and environmental health. It is also well-suited for anyone interested in tackling large-scale, often overlooked global challenges.
What you’ll get out of it
– A clear understanding of global lead poisoning, its scale and impact; the sources of lead exposure; the solutions
– Real-world insights from cutting-edge research and interventions across multiple countries
– Concrete ideas for how to engage, invest, or collaborate in solutions at scale