Lead Poisoning Prevention in Noxubee County. - Noxubee County Mississippi is a disadvantaged community with persistent poverty, racial segregation, and older housing; yet the community thrives with strong ties and tight-knitted relations. To advance priorities identified in Supporting Communities to Reduce Lead Poisoning Grant, Noxubee County Activity League, a nonprofit organization, developed a program model comprising of community, business, and government partners to address lead poisoning in children under age five with emphasis on children under age 3. In this grant, Noxubee County Activity League and its partners implement multiple strategies: activating the community and creating coalitions; improving access to blood lead services; mitigating lead contamination in housing and drinking water. The program delivers lead poisoning awareness training, assistance with blood lead referrals, lead identification in housing, and resources and technical assistance. The lead poisoning awareness training comprises of two tracks. Track 1 emphasizes the effects of lead poisoning, blood lead screening and testing, and follow-up treatment for young children. The targeted audience is parents of children under age five, with emphasis on children under age 3. Track 2 emphasizes lead exposure in paint, plumbing, and drinking water. The targeted audience includes families with young children living in homes constructed before 1978 or any home with known lead hazards. The blood lead referral program connects and makes referrals of children to resources and services. The staff teams up with medical providers, childcare facilities, and parents with young children. The Lead Identification and removal program conducts focused outreach and marketing by engaging community and coalition partners. The program helps property owners to identify and access lead risks in properties and connects families with resource partners in order to make changes in living environments. The expected outcomes and results over a period of three years are to increase the community’s knowledge about lead poisoning prevention and increase blood lead testing of children under age five. Additional expected outcomes are to increase the number of lead risk inspections and assessments in homes constructed before 1978 or in homes suspected of lead hazards; increase the number of water collection samples; increase engagement of financial partners for lead abatement removal. The grant award brings together the community and its partners to seek solutions to reduce incidences of lead poisoning in Noxubee County.
