Lead poisoning affects 1 in 3 kids worldwide—but it’s not too late to act

We write with good news concerning a fresh effort to combat a threat to global health that will claim more than 900,000 lives this year. Because symptoms are not always visible, the danger posed by this threat is insidious. Even when not fatal, it contributes to poverty, undermines human potential, and hurts communities.

Yes, COVID-19 is such a menace, but not the only one. So, too, is exposure to lead-based pollution. Human use of lead is pervasive. Across the globe, people are exposed to lead in the water they drink...