At a glance
CDC supports West Virginia 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 West Virginia received $616,668 through cooperative agreement EH21-2102 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the third funding year. The funds address childhood lead poisoning prevention and surveillance programmatic activities being conducted from September 30, 2023, to September 29, 2024.
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 West Virginia, contact the program below.
West Virginia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
350 Capitol Street, Room 702
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-558-5388
Note:
Success story: funding year 2
Creating a pilot program with Harrison County, West Virginia, to better focus on lead poisoning education and prevention
Challenge
The West Virginia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (WVCLPPP) works closely with the West Virginia Office of Environmental Health Services (WVOEHS). They work to identify areas throughout the state where follow up may be needed due to lead exposure discovered during environmental home evaluations. In May of 2021, WVOEHS identified lead in drinking water in Clarksburg, West Virginia, a city in Harrison County. WVOEHS notified WVCLPPP of lead levels obtained in water samples during an environmental lead assessment of homes of children who had been identified with a blood lead level greater than or equal to 5 μ/dL. In response, WVCLPPP initiated Harrison County-specific data surveillance to assess local needs. Additionally, WVCLPPP sought to increase awareness in Clarksburg about the negative effects from lead on children's health and to educate families on common sources of lead exposure and actions that they can take to prevent or decrease exposure.
Intervention
WVCLPPP participated in an interagency communications strategy, including issuing a Heath Advisory Alert. The goal was to increase blood lead testing for children ≤6 years of age in Clarksburg and community participation in testing tap water for lead. Beginning in July 2021, WVCLPPP increased messaging in the community about the harmful health effects of lead exposure on children's health and the importance of discussing the need for a blood lead test with children's healthcare providers. WVCLPPP developed a partnership with Medicaid providers to increase blood lead testing and outreach events. Increased community outreach events and messaging are still ongoing. WVCLPPP also looked at ways to increase financial resources available to WV community members to mitigate lead exposure (e.g., pursuing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant options).
Impact
WVCLPPP provided outreach and education in the Clarksburg area at 15 events. Data from September 2021 to July of 2022 do not show a significant increase in testing rates for Harrison County. In an effort to increase lead testing rates in this area, a pilot project is being developed in collaboration with the Harrison County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to encourage lead testing and provide lead education during WIC clinic visits. WVCLPPP will continue to develop and enhance available WV child blood lead data and also continue the Clarksburg-specific public media campaign.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE2EH001387 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.
Success story: funding year 1
Developing and maintaining collaboration with strategic partners in West Virginia
Challenge
In West Virginia, 25% of children under the age of 6 lived in poverty during 2015, and 51% of West Virginia births were paid for by Medicaid. In 2015, the Centers for Medicare-Medicaid Services reported that 16% of Medicaid-eligible children under the age of six received a blood lead level test.
Intervention
Using CDC funds, West Virginia Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (WVCLPPP) re-established their CLPPP Advisory Committee. The WVCLPPP Advisory Committee meets twice a year to identify strategies to improve population-based interventions. The committee includes members from federal, state, and local health and housing agencies as well as non-profit organizations, early educational service providers, and other stakeholders interested in preventing childhood lead poisoning.
The WVCLPPP promotes and attends community outreach activities in high-risk target areas, such as health fairs and community baby showers, to educate providers and parents about the adverse effects of lead poisoning and the importance of primary prevention, testing, nutrition, and cleaning.
The WVCLPPP worked with the West Virginia Home Visitation Program, Right From The Start (RFTS), and Early Head Start to add blood lead screening questions to assessment instruments for children under age six and for pregnant women. Based on the assessment results, referrals are made to the child's physician for lead screening.
Impact
The number of children screened for childhood lead poisoning in West Virginia increased by 17% between 2013 and 2017, with 12,325 children tested in 2013 and 14,400 tested in 2017.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by NUE2EH001387 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.