CDC Funded Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

Los Angeles County Health Services Dept, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Los Angeles County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP),[unreadable] established in 1991, now has a case management and surveillance staff of 63 funded by[unreadable] State funds and a seven-person staff funded by the Centers for Disease Control and[unreadable] Prevention (CDC). The proposed CDC program will have an eight person staff that[unreadable] focuses on primary prevention activities to make housing lead-safe and to educate the[unreadable] community on lead poisoning prevention and lead-safe work practices.[unreadable] Los Angeles County encompasses 4,000 square miles where 9.5 million people live in 88[unreadable] cities and the County's unincorporated areas. According to the 2000 Census, 18% of the[unreadable] population lives below the federal poverty level. As of July 2005, there were 449,640[unreadable] children under age six enrolled in Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County. Electronic reporting[unreadable] of all blood lead tests in California was initiated in 2004 and surveillance data show that[unreadable] 149,699 blood lead tests were performed on Los Angeles County children under age six[unreadable] in 2005. There were 746 children with elevated blood lead levels of whom 139 met case[unreadable] criteria. Incidence is estimated at around five per thousand children tested. Trend[unreadable] analysis shows a steep decline in "cases" with only about three per thousand projected in[unreadable] 2010. However, EBLs between 10 and 14.4 ug/dL are not declining as rapidly. For this[unreadable] reason, programs focusing on reducing exposure to lead hazards by making housing leadsafe[unreadable] are proposed.[unreadable] Most of the County's dwelling units were constructed before 1980 and 45% were built[unreadable] before 1960. Old rental units are those most likely to have lead hazards and in Los[unreadable] Angeles County 52% of units are renter-occupied while 48% are owner-occupied.[unreadable] A high-risk area was identified where 64% of all children with elevated blood levels in[unreadable] the County were found. This area has 49% of the County's pre-1980 housing units and[unreadable] had one half of all the County's Medi-Cal births in 2003.[unreadable] Capacity[unreadable] The County's Elimination Plan, Lead-Safe L.A. was created by well-developed[unreadable] partnerships among public and community-based housing, health and legal advocacy[unreadable] organizations. Work on implementation continues with a focus on strengthening[unreadable] community capacity to control lead hazards in at-risk housing.[unreadable] Los Angeles CLPPP has well-established programs for case management, surveillance,[unreadable] health education and primary prevention. Both the City and the County of Los Angeles[unreadable] have systematic code inspection programs and California law mandates use of lead-safe[unreadable] work practices in pre-1978 housing.[unreadable] Strategic partnerships with key state and local government agencies and with the[unreadable] nonprofit sector are documented in the application. The program is notable for the extent[unreadable] of cooperation with housing agencies and nonprofit organizations that has been developed[unreadable] between different agencies in different jurisdictions. This program can provide a model[unreadable] for communities nationwide.[unreadable] Workplan[unreadable] The proposed work plan focuses on primary prevention through outreach in cooperation[unreadable] with systematic housing code inspection programs. A new program will monitor units[unreadable] already abated to ensure they remain lead safe and collaborate with the EPA on 1018[unreadable] enforcement in those units. The proposed health education programs include: (1) training[unreadable] on lead-safe work practices for workers, contractors, homeowners, property managers and[unreadable] community members; (2) lead poisoning prevention education for high-risk pregnant[unreadable] women and parents in pre-schools; and (3) partnerships with retail and hardware stores to[unreadable] educate contractors, painters and "do-it-yourselfers" and lead-safe work practices. A new[unreadable] strategic partnership will provide community outreach through contracts with skilled[unreadable] community-based healthy homes organizations to educate parents about lead poisoning[unreadable] prevention and identify environmental lead hazards in buildings where there are EBL[unreadable] children. The CLPPP-CDC program will work with five Building and Safety[unreadable] departments to stamp permits and inform property owners and contractors that they are[unreadable] required to use lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 housing units.[unreadable]