450: A Call for Data, Lead Poisoning Prevention

JANSON SILVERS: 

This is Public Health Review Morning Edition for Wednesday, June 28, 2023. I'm Janson Silvers. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

JANELLE PALACIOS: 

Well, the 'Making Amends' report is just a very beginning step. It's a needed step, but it's very beginning. It's still in its infancy of what we really need to do. So, there is much more progress to be made.

JANSON SILVERS: 

Dr. Janelle Palacios helped write the report issued by the Federal Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality. Among its recommendations: find a way to get better data on the health challenges facing American Indian and Alaska Native mothers and their babies.

JANELLE PALACIOS: 

I believe our government should prioritize data collection. And we need that to happen now. We need to know what's going on in our country, across the nation, regionally, we need to know that right now. And once we learn that, then we can decide what needs to happen next, which is likely going to be community participation and engagement for us to create steps that will be able to meet the needs of the community that will be worth it. That will have meaning.

JANSON SILVERS: 

Palacios expects the report could help people working with these communities by giving them something to lean on when they get pushback.

JANELLE PALACIOS: 

So, there is that credibility that this has been published, and it's out there and it's on a federal website. So, this report has some credibility that can be used by people who are already doing this work, who might be working in states and organizations that seem immovable, that seem that they cannot be flexible, that could possibly meet the needs of certain communities. But now you have this document that says, 'Yes, you can and it needs to be done now.'

JANSON SILVERS: 

You can read the report using the link in the show notes, also hear more of Palacios' comments in a new episode of the Public Health Review Podcast available now everywhere you stream audio.

The Maryland Department of Health has been working to prevent lead poisoning in children. Dr. Clifford Mitchell, the department's director of the Environmental Health Bureau says the program has grown from its inception in the '90s.

CLIFFORD MITCHELL: 

So, in about 2014, we began to look at our lead data to use that to figure out whether or not our targeted testing program identified children who were both at risk and were lead poisoned. As a result of that work, what we determined is that there are no areas of the state without lead poisoning. Even in those areas where there was not testing going on, we were still having children who were lead poisoned who came to attention through medical care. We decided as a result of that, to test all children at ages 12 and 24 months, one and two years, regardless of where they lived in the state.

JANSON SILVERS: 

Universal testing made it possible to understand where lead poisoning is taking place in the state.

CLIFFORD MITCHELL: 

We're not perfect yet, but we have seen dramatic increases in testing rates and in the identification of children with lead poisoning.

JANSON SILVERS: 

We have a link in the show notes if you want to learn more about the work the Maryland Health Department is doing to prevent lead poisoning.

Also today, you can learn more about Public Health Americorps during an ASTHO webinar tomorrow. O'Keyla Cooper has more.

O'KEYLA COOPER: 

Don't miss out on an incredible opportunity to connect with AJ Pearlman, Director of the National Public Health AmeriCorps program at tomorrow's virtual event hosted by ASTHO and NACCHO. Pearlman will shed light on common misconceptions, provide tips on how you can use the PHA program to improve your workforce capacity, and give a sneak peek of what's in store for next year. The event takes place tomorrow June 29, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern Time. The registration link can be found in the show notes.

JANSON SILVERS: 

ASTHO has a new Q&A with Palina Louangketh on health equity in Idaho. Learn about her history as a refugee and how her past has influenced her present. There's a link to the full Q&A in the show notes.

Finally this morning ASTHO is hiring! The organization has open positions for a senior analyst of preparedness, a coordinator of events, and a manager of regional office meetings and events. You can learn more using the link in the show notes.

That'll do it for today's newscast. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Janson Silvers, you're listening to Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.