Harris County, TX
Harris County received $300,000 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 Harris Texas, contact the program below.
Harris County Public Health
Environmental Public Health Division
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
201 Caroline St. Ste 460
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713-274-6374
Partnering for Childhood Blood Lead Testing in WIC Clinics, Harris County, Texas
Harris County is home to many industries that produce airborne lead contaminants. Harris County is also home to Guatemalan, Honduran, Salvadoran, and Mexican communities that use traditional ceramic pottery that may be glazed with lead. While the incidence of lead poisoning has gradually declined in the U.S., disparities continue to exist among this economically disadvantaged population in Harris County. Children under 72 months of age are at a higher risk for long-term damage caused by lead poisoning. In 2017, approximately 1.95% (6,767) of children ages ≤ 5 years old in Harris County were considered to have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs). Children eligible for Medicaid are at a higher risk for elevated BLLs. However, blood lead testing is not conducted as a part of routine visits at Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics in Harris County where many of these children are Medicaid-eligible.
Due to lack of resources, no targeted childhood lead testing or lead poisoning prevention education had been provided to the underserved populations in the Greater Inwood of North Houston and Pasadena communities. The Harris County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) partnered with two Special Supplemental Nutrition Program WIC clinics in Harris County. These clinics were selected because 75% of the children enrolled in WIC are eligible for Medicaid and are at higher risk for elevated blood lead levels. Additionally, these communities are home to Latin American families that may use lead-based ceramic pots and pans, live in housing located near industries that produce airborne lead contaminants, and live in homes built before 1978. In these communities, the Harris County CLPPP provided lead poisoning awareness education and increased blood lead testing for children. WIC providers received linguistic and culturally appropriate lead education and informational materials to effectively increase lead awareness amongst their patients. After receiving lead poisoning and prevention education, patients at these WIC clinics were also offered additional resources and services.
Prior to partnering with WIC, 1,803 children in the selected communities were screened for lead exposure. After Harris County CLPPP initiated their educational intervention at the WIC clinics in the Greater Inwood and Pasadena communities, 2,119 children were screened from October 2017 through September 2018. This represents an 18% increase in children served compared to before Harris County CLPPP partnered with WIC. The program plans to extend this intervention to ten additional WIC clinics within its jurisdiction.
Funding for this work was made possible in part by [NUE2EH001368] 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.