The Los Angeles County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP),? established in 1991, now has a case management and surveillance staff of 63 funded by? State funds and a seven-person staff funded by the Centers for Disease Control and? Prevention (CDC). The proposed CDC program will have an eight person staff that? focuses on primary prevention activities to make housing lead-safe and to educate the? community on lead poisoning prevention and lead-safe work practices.? Los Angeles County encompasses 4,000 square miles where 9.5 million people live in 88? cities and the County's unincorporated areas. According to the 2000 Census, 18% of the? population lives below the federal poverty level. As of July 2005, there were 449,640? children under age six enrolled in Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County. Electronic reporting? of all blood lead tests in California was initiated in 2004 and surveillance data show that? 149,699 blood lead tests were performed on Los Angeles County children under age six? in 2005. There were 746 children with elevated blood lead levels of whom 139 met case? criteria. Incidence is estimated at around five per thousand children tested. Trend? analysis shows a steep decline in """"""""cases"""""""" with only about three per thousand projected in? 2010. However, EBLs between 10 and 14.4 ug/dL are not declining as rapidly. For this? reason, programs focusing on reducing exposure to lead hazards by making housing leadsafe? are proposed.? Most of the County's dwelling units were constructed before 1980 and 45% were built? before 1960. Old rental units are those most likely to have lead hazards and in Los? Angeles County 52% of units are renter-occupied while 48% are owner-occupied.? A high-risk area was identified where 64% of all children with elevated blood levels in? the County were found. This area has 49% of the County's pre-1980 housing units and? had one half of all the County's Medi-Cal births in 2003.? Capacity? The County's Elimination Plan, Lead-Safe L.A. was created by well-developed? partnerships among public and community-based housing, health and legal advocacy? organizations. Work on implementation continues with a focus on strengthening? community capacity to control lead hazards in at-risk housing.? Los Angeles CLPPP has well-established programs for case management, surveillance,? health education and primary prevention. Both the City and the County of Los Angeles? have systematic code inspection programs and California law mandates use of lead-safe? work practices in pre-1978 housing.? Strategic partnerships with key state and local government agencies and with the? nonprofit sector are documented in the application. The program is notable for the extent? of cooperation with housing agencies and nonprofit organizations that has been developed? between different agencies in different jurisdictions. This program can provide a model? for communities nationwide.? Workplan? The proposed work plan focuses on primary prevention through outreach in cooperation? with systematic housing code inspection programs. A new program will monitor units? already abated to ensure they remain lead safe and collaborate with the EPA on 1018? enforcement in those units. The proposed health education programs include: (1) training? on lead-safe work practices for workers, contractors, homeowners, property managers and? community members; (2) lead poisoning prevention education for high-risk pregnant? women and parents in pre-schools; and (3) partnerships with retail and hardware stores to? educate contractors, painters and """"""""do-it-yourselfers"""""""" and lead-safe work practices. A new? strategic partnership will provide community outreach through contracts with skilled? community-based healthy homes organizations to educate parents about lead poisoning? prevention and identify environmental lead hazards in buildings where there are EBL? children. The CLPPP-CDC program will work with five Building and Safety? departments to stamp permits and inform property owners and contractors that they are? required to use lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 housing units.?
