At a glance
CDC supports Georgia and other state and local health departments, or their bona fide agents, through cooperative agreements to support childhood lead poisoning prevention activities. Read about the program's successes.
About the program
The State of Georgia received $665,000 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in FY 2023. The funds address childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities being conducted from September 30, 2021, to September 29, 2023.
The strategies focus on:
- Ensuring blood lead testing and reporting
- Enhancing blood lead surveillance
- Improving linkages to recommended services
To learn more about these efforts in Georgia, contact the program below.
Georgia Department of Public Health
Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
2 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-657-2700
Success story: funding year 3
Georgia forms partnership to connect children to lead poisoning care
Challenge
In 2022, a child in foster care tested above the blood lead reference value of 3.5 µg/dL. Regrettably, the child relocated to a different public health district before receiving a confirmatory test and lead investigation. Despite the efforts of several Georgia Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (GHHLPPP) staff, the child could not be located. This incident highlighted the need for more effective communication among Georgia's state agencies to ensure every child receives the care they deserve.
Intervention
GHHLPPP launched an outreach project in May of 2023 to strengthen its relationship with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), whose caseworkers directly serve children in foster care. GHHLPPP strengthened linkages to recommended services for lead exposed children by providing DFCS with 430 folders to distribute to foster families and caregivers. Each folder contained educational material on lead poisoning prevention. Additionally, families received information on health department services; the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; and the Children 1st program. Children 1st provides early intervention services for eligible children, including those who have been lead poisoned. Through partnerships with several local organizations, including Georgia Family Connection, Turning Points Counseling, and the Northeast Georgia Housing Authority, GHHLPPP raised funds to implement the project in 13 counties in Public Health District 2, thereby increasing awareness of community services. This district covers many rural communities in Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White Counties, where limited access to care exists. As a part of the project, staff assembled duffel bags filled with essential items for children entering foster care. Each bag contained a fleece blanket, hygiene kit, plush lion, healthy snacks, and a coloring book on lead poisoning prevention with crayons. The bags were distributed to DFCS offices in each of these counties, accompanied by a presentation to DFCS staff on nontraditional lead hazards, the effects of lead exposure, and the importance of testing.
Impact
This project has enabled GHHLPPP to connect with DFCS and raise awareness about the significance of lead poisoning prevention and testing among their employees, foster families, and biological parents of foster children. Through this effort, GHHLPPP provided duffel bags to 150 children, connected 430 families to services, and trained about 200 DFCS staff members on lead poisoning prevention in 2023.
In addition, DFCS staff can better support families after a blood lead test with a handout describing what the lab results mean and links to resources and other government organizations such as CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by 1 NUE2EH001465-01-00 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 2
Pathway Georgia's new childhood lead poisoning prevention law
Challenge
In 2021, CDC updated its blood lead reference value (BLRV) to 3.5 µg/dL. At that time, the Georgia Department of Public Health intervened when blood lead levels (BLLs) were at 15 µg/dL, missing a population of children with BLLs below this level. Georgia state regulations prevented pursuit of enforcement action against landlords until the BLL of exposed children reached 15 µg/dL. Georgia parameters and law for initiating public health action were not in line with CDC recommendations.
Intervention
A Georgia House of Representatives study committee was created in the summer of 2021 to investigate the possibility of lowering the BLL definition to 3.5 µg/dL in Georgia. The committee met several times throughout Fall 2021 and listened to the perspectives of individuals affected by lead poisoning. The Department of Public Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) provided essential information, including BLL data and current policies and procedures for case management of children with higher BLLs. Based on the information presented, the committee created a list of recommendations to change current CLPPP policies. These recommendations were proposed law in House Bill 1355 (HB 1355), which would align Georgia with the current CDC guidelines for recommending public health actions of BLLs starting at 3.5 µg/dL.
Impact
The bill was passed by both the Georgia House and Senate in April 2022 and included funds to assist the Department of Health in expanding the program. The law went into effect on July 1, 2022. Lowering Georgia's BLL for initiating public health action will also require more home intervention services and case management. With passage of this law and added funding, the Department of Health will hire 18 additional lead inspectors statewide to investigate cases of lead exposure, educate families on ways to reduce exposure, and work with property owners to eliminate and reduce sources of lead. In addition, the CLPPP can now provide services for a population of children who were previously outside of the legal parameters for services.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by 1 NUE2EH001465-01-00 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 1
Portable analyzer blood lead level reporting in Georgia
Challenge
Results of all blood lead tests are reportable in Georgia. However, the Georgia Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (GHHLPPP) does not have complete electronic reporting, and there are also issues with timely reporting. Close to 85% of the data that GHHLPPP receives are reported through GHHLPPP's State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SENDSS); however, a small majority of lab reports are received via mail or fax. Mailed and faxed reports are usually test results from portable lead analyzers sent directly from a clinic or physician's office.
Intervention
GHHLPPP developed a fact sheet for pediatric providers on properly reporting portable analyzer results electronically within required time limits. GHHLPP worked with the Georgia Chapter of the America Academy of Pediatrics (GAAP) to fax and mail this information to all pediatric and family practice offices within the state in November 2014.
Additionally, GHHLPPP called each clinic that persistently faxed results and assisted them in registering for SENDSS accounts. Any faxed test results are immediately sent back to the reporting clinic with instructions on how to obtain a SENDSS account and report electronically.
GHHLPPP compared reported test results with a list of LeadCare II portable analyzer users in Georgia to ensure that all clinics and physician offices using these devices are reporting blood screening results.
Impact
After distributing the fact sheet, the number of clinics uploading blood lead test results in SENDSS increased from 35 in 2014 to 64 in 2017.
As a result of outreach to clinicians, Georgia's blood lead screening rate has increased in all measures. For example, Georgia's Medicaid screening rate increased from 65% in February 2015 to 71% in January 2016.
GHHLPPP's actions increased electronic reporting by 10%. Currently, 98% of reports are sent electronically.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE1EH001258 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the CDC; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.