West Virginia

The State of West Virginia received $451,668 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

  • 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

Success Story

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.