Transcript Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

Healthy Homes and
Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program
Patrick Bloomingdale, Outreach Coordinator
Texas Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Texas Department of State Health Services
Background
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Housing conditions can affect
public health
Approx. 38 million U.S. homes
with lead-based paint
Lead poisoning, injuries,
respiratory diseases (asthma),
quality of life issues linked to
substandard housing issues
nationwide
Other: fire, electrical injuries,
falls, rodent bites, indoor
toxins, tobacco smoke,
pesticides
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Disparities in Healthy Homes
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Greatest Risk: Older properties that are poorly
maintained
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Substandard Housing: homes with severe or
moderate problems
– US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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Age, Income and Ethnicity, and Geographical
Location
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Age
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Children more vulnerable to
environmental exposure due
to developing organs and
nervous system
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Elderly more susceptible to
certain housing related
hazards such as injuries and
falls
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Income and Ethnicity
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Low-income, minority
populations are more likely
to live in substandard
housing
Structural defects
Environmental hazards
High concentrations of
mouse and cockroach
allergens
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Vulnerable Populations Defined
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Any population that is at an increased risk
for adverse health-related outcomes due
to housing patterns driven by racial,
cultural, social and economic conditions.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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What Is CDC’s Healthy Homes Initiative?
CDC’s Healthy Homes Initiative is a coordinated,
comprehensive, and holistic approach to
preventing diseases and injuries that result from
housing-related hazards and deficiencies. The
focus of the initiative is to identify health, safety,
and quality-of-life issues in the home
environment and to act systematically to
eliminate or mitigate problems.
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The Healthy Homes Initiative seeks to:
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Broaden the scope of single-issue public health programs,
such as childhood lead poisoning prevention and asthma
programs, to address multiple housing deficiencies that affect
health and safety.
Build capacity and competency among environmental public
health practitioners, public health nurses, housing specialists,
managers, and others who work in the community, to develop
and manage comprehensive and effective healthy homes
programs.
Promote, develop, and implement cross-disciplinary activities
at the federal, state, tribal, and community levels to address
the problem of unhealthy and unsafe housing through
surveillance, research, and comprehensive prevention
programs.
Facilitate the collection of local data and monitor progress
toward reducing or eliminating housing deficiencies and
hazards.
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Cont. - Healthy Homes Initiative
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Expand collaborations with the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development, national associations and
organizations, academia, community-based organizations,
and others, including the American Public Health Association,
National Environmental Health Association, and the World
Health Organization.
Promote research to determine causal relations between
substandard housing and adverse health effects.
Develop guidelines to assess, reduce, and eliminate health
and safety risks.
Identify and implement low-cost, reliable, and practical
methods to reduce health and safety risks in substandard
housing.
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Related Websites
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Lead Strategic Planning Committee
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National Center for Healthy Homes
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http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/lead/SPCLEAD2020.shtm
http://www.nchh.org/Policy/National-Safe-and-Healthy-HousingCoalition.aspx
CDC's Healthy Homes Initiative
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http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/healthyhomes.htm
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