Happier Lives Institute names the Ending Lead-Contaminated Cosmetics in Ghana for Healthier Futures project the most cost-effective intervention they have evaluated to date.
In a chapter in the 2025 World Happiness Report on effective giving, the Happier Lives Institute (HLI) ranked Pure Earth as the most cost-effective charity for improving the wellbeing of others based on their analysis of our program to reduce lead exposure from cosmetics in Ghana. HLI projected that this is likely to be the most cost-effective intervention they have evaluated to date, concluding that “until better data emerges, Pure Earth presents a potential ‘high risk, high return’ opportunity for philanthropic funding.”
According to Happier Lives Institute, Pure Earth’s cost per WELLBY, an evidence-based metric used to quantify the wellbeing experienced over one year, is just $9. This means that for every $1,000 donated, Pure Earth creates 108 WELLBYs.
About Lead-Contaminated Eyeliner
“Chilo” is the local word for eyeliner in Northern Ghana and is often applied to both girls and boys at a very young age. Pure Earth’s Rapid Market Screening research found that eyeliner can contain very high levels of lead. Lab results from two samples showed lead concentrations of 290,000 and 320,000 (equivalent to 29 and 32% lead, respectively).
Between 2020 and 2023, Pure Earth, UNICEF, the Ghana Health Service, and Ghana EPA collaborated on a large-scale blood lead level survey (3227 participants over 3 regions). Northern Ghana had the highest prevalence of lead poisoning. Notably, eyeliner was identified through follow-up home-based assessments as a potentially important contributor to exposure. In Northern Ghana, contaminated Chilo was correlated with elevated blood lead levels.
A boy in Ghana wears eyeliner, or "chilo".
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About the Project
Our project, Ending Lead-Contaminated Cosmetics in Ghana for Healthier Futures, will both reduce the supply of leaded cosmetics in the marketplace and reduce demand for lead-contaminated cosmetics by consumers, as well as boost government capacity to enforce regulations.
We will work with government agencies and local partners in Ghana to assess supply chains, safe product alternatives, and existing regulations; support the adoption and advancement of appropriate standards; work with industry actors by providing data and facilitating technical solutions; train officials in lead level assessments enabling monitoring and enforcement; and educate the public on the dangers of lead exposure from contaminated eyeliner.
Project Phases
Supply Chain Intervention:
- Conduct an initial supply-chain analysis of eyeliner and other cosmetics to identify how contaminated products enter the country and spread, starting with the main distributors of the most popular brands that have been identified with high lead levels as well as some manufacturers as feasible based upon location.
- Organize workshops for economic actors in cosmetics in Ghana to inform them about the dangers of lead.
- Convince industry actors by providing data on eyeliner contamination, educating them on the health threat; propose solutions and safe alternatives, and provide technical assistance for safe product development..
Regulatory Efforts:
- Work with Ghana Standards Authority to examine existing regulations for lead in consumer products and whether they need to be updated and/or enforced.
- Build government capacity to enforce existing consumer safety regulations pertaining to contaminated cosmetics.
- Build the government’s enforcement capacity to assess markets and supply chains while acquiring and maintaining necessary equipment, including XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzers to measure lead concentration levels.
Consumer Awareness Raising:
- Conduct community awareness activities related to contaminated consumer products including cosmetics and cookware.
- Identify which specific brands of eyeliner are lead-free, their price point and availability in the Northern Region of Ghana. Part of our cosmetics market survey that we will be doing under Open Philanthropy will gather this type of information.
Funding Needs
Pure Earth is currently conducting an initial supply chain analysis and assessment of the regulatory landscape for cosmetics in Ghana, supported by Open Philanthropy, but funding to implement interventions is still needed.
“Ending Lead-Contaminated Cosmetics in Ghana for Healthier Futures builds off our experience removing lead from other consumer products like spices. Not only are these interventions cost-effective, they can be implemented within a relatively short time frame,” says Carol Sumkin, Pure Earth V.P. of Development. “Based on our Rapid Market Screening, we also know that lead contaminated eyeliner is a common threat in many regions of the world. The experience acquired from this program in Ghana can be replicated and scaled up across several countries.”