Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead Poisoning Prevention

Our lead poisoning prevention work involves collaboration with local partners to provide education, resources and care to children with lead exposure.

Clinical and Community Solutions to Lead-Free Children

Environmental lead disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups, including children living in low-income areas as well as ethnic and racial minorities. In Milwaukee, the highest lead levels are contained in old housing stock.

Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) is funding a collaborative lead prevention project with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Children’s Wisconsin, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin (the Alliance), and Social Development Commission (SDC). The project’s goal is to increase the connectedness between the clinical enterprise, the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD), community response, and parental engagement following a positive lead test. Increased connectedness and communication will help mitigate ongoing lead exposures and decrease lead poisoning. We aim to evaluate how lead testing is accomplished and the mechanisms that clinics use to communicate with the community. The project anticipates impacting sustainable changes in testing practices, care coordination between primary care and the MHD, a deeper understanding of parental concerns, and reformed approaches to improving housing.

The project is currently connecting with individuals and groups with concerns about environmental lead, including parents and community leaders, community-based organizations, clinicians, the local and state health department, coalitions, and the city housing department.

View project webinars to learn more about lead in Milwaukee and ongoing work of the partnership: