Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Congressman Dan Kildee Call for CDC to Address Drop in Blood Lead Testing for Children
Washington,
October 8, 2020
Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Congressman Dan Kildee Call for CDC to Address Drop in Blood Lead Testing for Children As reports indicate that rates of lead testing for children have dropped during the pandemic, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Congressman Dan Kildee are leading efforts to call on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to take steps to help states and local government boost testing measures and efforts, including making additional funding available. In response, she released the following statement: “Lead has a long-lasting impact on children and the harms of exposure don’t pause just because we’re in a pandemic. Families need access to lead testing to ensure parents can take the right steps to protect the health of children during critical times of growth and development. According to state data, nearly 2,400 children were screened and found to have elevated blood lead levels in Milwaukee in 2018. Blood lead screening is a critical part of efforts to not only identify children at risk for lead poisoning but it can also help lead to actions to remediate the source, whether in the home or water. That’s why it’s important that during the pandemic when children are spending more time at home, we find ways to continue blood lead testing for children and connect them and their families to the services they may need.” Read the full text of the letter here. |
