HARRISBURG – Mayor Eric Papenfuse and city officials announce a new partnership to offer free testing for elevated blood lead levels in children under six years old.
The partnership between the City and Hamilton Health to provide immediate testing for at-risk children is supported by a $3.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to tackle lead poisoning risks in homes.
It is the only such initiative in the nation where a health agency has agreed to question parents about lead paint in their homes and immediately test children at risk for lead poisoning.
“Ninety percent of our housing stock was built before 1978,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse, in announcing the press conference, “and most of these houses have lead paint. Thanks to Hamilton Health, we will be able to move quickly to identify and help children at risk from lead poisoning.”
The City will use the HUD grant to fund a “Lead Analyzer” for Hamilton Health that will assess the amount of lead in blood samples. The City also will use the HUD grant to inspect homes and provide free remediation for those with lead paint.
SOURCE: Harrisburg City Press Release
