Childhood Lead Poisoning in the Chicago Area: The Latest Evidence and Public Health Approaches

About one in three children globally suffer from lead poisoning. We need to reduce this? (Our World Data 1.2022)

CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC) is pleased to announce its latest webinar 'Childhood Lead Poisoning in the Chicago Area: The Latest Evidence and Public Health Approaches. This program is part of IOMC's programmatic series Public Health, Population Health, and Community Health – Reducing Health Disparities. The webinar will be held on Fri., Sept. 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM CT-1:00 PM CT. The program is open to all and is free. Registration is required, visit this page .

Urban soils contaminated with lead contribute to elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in young children. A systematic manner addressing soil contamination is needed here. Overall efforts to reduce lead blood levels in at-risk populations will continue to fall short, and significant health and social consequences of lead poisoning will continue to manifest until there is an effective protocol. 

Chicago has hot spots where lead, including in soil, is a potential danger to children and others. Potential lead exposure is a pressing issue that requires attention to avoid health issues. Racial segregation makes consequences of lead exposure worse. Racial segregation and lead exposure amplified each other's detrimental effects on reading scores in children. The findings could guide interventions aimed at improving children's cognitive development (NIH 8.30.2022). In addition, the air and environment may have an elevated lead level contributing to and creating overall lead exposure. This session will discuss roadblocks to comprehensively address childhood lead exposure and provide examples of where/how The Lead Abatement Resource Center has taken action and achieved quantifiable results.

Moderator: Caswell Evans, DDS, MPH - Former Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, Chicago, College of Dentistry, and Billings Fellow, IOMC.

Shirley Conibear, MD, MPH, FACPM - Board-certified physician in Family Medicine and Occupational Medicine, Epidemiologist, Senior Scientist; Vice President, The LARC Foundation, and Adjunct Faculty, University of Illinois, School of Public Health.

Brian Svazas, MD, MPH - Occupational and Environmental Medicine Physician; Board Member, The LARC Foundation, and Fellow, IOMC.

Debra Shore - Regional Administrator, EPA Region 5 and Great Lakes National Program Manager, US Environmental Protection Agency

The Institute of Medicine of Chicago (IOMC), since 1915, is an independent non-profit organization of distinguished leaders in the health field who collaborate to improve the health of the public. Drawing upon the expertise of a diverse membership and other regional leaders, the IOMC addresses critical health issues through a range of interdisciplinary approaches, including education, research, communication of trusted information, and community engagement. With the public's health at its core, IOMC is building new programs and services to meet better the needs of its members and the Chicago and the State of Illinois community. 501c3 non-profit organization. Visit www.iomc.org.

For more information contact:
Deborah Hodges
The Institute of Medicine of Chicago
312.709.2685
[email protected]

SOURCE The Institute of Medicine of Chicago