At a glance
CDC supports Houston, Texas, 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 City of Houston received $350,000 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in FY 2022. The funds address childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities being conducted from September 30, 2022, to September 29, 2023.
The strategies focus on community-based approaches for lead hazard elimination and emphasize population-based policy intervention.
To learn more about these efforts in Houston, contact the program below.
Houston Health Department
Bureau of Community and Children's Environmental Health
Childhood Lead Poisoning and Prevention Program
8000 North Stadium Drive
Houston, TX 77054
Phone: 832-393-5141
Note:
Success story: funding year 3
Houston, Texas, builds community partnerships to promote more childhood lead testing
Challenge
Texas Medicaid requires blood lead testing for children ages one to two years who are enrolled in Texas Health Steps or Medicaid. This testing limitation creates a testing gap during their well-child visits for Houston children in the same age group who are uninsured or have private insurance. According to the American Community Survey, there are 164,775 children under the age of five years living in Houston. Data provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services show that 46,151 (28%) children living in Houston under the age of 5 years received a blood lead test, which is only about three in every 10 young children.
Intervention
In 2023, the Houston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (HCLPPP) partnered with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Houston Health Department Immunization Bureau (HHDIB) to offer childcare facilities in priority areas water supply testing. The partnership also provided blood lead testing for children who attend the childcare facilities. HHDIB has an established relationship with many licensed and registered childcare facilities because of their audit requirement. HCLPPP collaborated with HHDIB to provide education to childcare providers on lead hazards and blood lead testing for the children during quarterly education sessions where continuing education units are offered.
Impact
Since September 2023, HCLPPP and HHDIB tested water at two schools. Over the life of the program, which is more than two years, 118 elementary schools will be tested. Also, plans to expand childcare and head start building testing are on track to meet goals. One school had a water source with an actionable lead level of 15 parts per billion, so school leadership received a letter with guidance to address the issue. HCLPPP and HHDIB are gathering data on the number of young children who receive a blood lead test and want to expand onsite blood lead testing at daycares in priority ZIP Codes to make testing more accessible to families with children ages five years and younger. Offering blood lead testing, water testing, and immunizations at the childcare centers allows HCLPPP to increase its visibility and network of partners.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by Grant NUE2EH001448 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 or imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Success story: funding year 2
Outreach interventions to increase testing rates in city of Houston, Texas
Challenge
In the Houston jurisdiction, 16 zip codes are at high risk for lead exposure. The Houston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) partnered with community-based organizations to improve lead screening rates in zip codes with low numbers of children being tested.
Intervention
Houston CLPPP launched extensive outreach efforts during October 2021 to August 2022. They reached out to local community organizations, schools, colleges and universities, the medical community, and others in two ZIP codes with a high risk of lead exposure. The outreach activities addressed the importance of lead testing, effects of lead exposure, sources of lead, industrial-based exposures, and prevention. Efforts included hosting one-on-one educational sessions with parents and providing educational materials at community health fairs and community events.
Houston CLPPP hosted a live webinar on current priorities on prevention and the potential effects of lead exposure on children's health. The webinar was presented by a Harvard Chan School of Public Health Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences adjunct professor.
Impact
The webinar was attended by approximately 126 people from the medical field, health agencies, and various organizations. The extensive outreach activities have increased awareness of lead exposure, which was evaluated based on qualitative feedback from participants. The Houston CLPPP participated in 27 outreach activities with over 2,500 attendees. Educational materials (3-page flyers about what is lead, prevention, and lead in the workplace) were mailed to approximately 25 metal supply businesses and hardware stores. Participants in these outreach activities disseminated these educational materials within their own communities.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by CDC-RFA-EH21-2102 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 endorsements by the U. S. Government.
Success story: funding year 1
Lead screenings for women, infants, and children in Houston
Challenge
Houston Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (HCLPPP) blood lead level (BLL) data from 2016 indicated that 826 children screened in targeted zip codes had elevated BLLs. However, only 24% of children under age 6 years living in those zip codes were screened, suggesting the number of children with elevated BLLs is most likely higher than recorded.
Intervention
HCLPPP had a long-standing goal to screen children for lead exposure at Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics because they serve populations in high-risk areas. For over a decade, HCLPPP unsuccessfully encouraged WIC clinics to include lead screening services.
In the summer of 2018, HCLPPP conducted lead screening near the Northside community in Houston. The results gathered from the screening influenced the mayor and city council members to lend support to HCLPPP's screening initiative in WIC clinics. With the political support, HCLPPP achieved its goal of implementing lead screenings at the La Nueva Casa de Amigos WIC Center.
Impact
La Nueva Casa WIC has screened 401 children and pregnant women for blood lead. Surveillance data indicate that 80% of the children and women were screened for the first time or have reported BLLs for the first time.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE2EH001381 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.