Building Partnerships to Address Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Tribal Children
April 2019
Seeking Tribal Nations Interested in Building Partnerships to Address Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Tribal Children
To assist tribal nations in building systems of support for tribal children, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a new initiative.Purpose
The purpose of this initiative is to convene state, county, and tribal representatives from rural and non-urban communities to discuss how collaborative efforts can be initiated or strengthened to identify and address elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in tribal children. Additionally, we will explore current processes that tribal nations use to test BLL and any known barriers and facilitators for testing and related activities.
Details
At the convenings, key stakeholders will work together to generate region-specific solutions to enhance BLL testing and related activities. Additionally, tribal participants will gain an improved understanding of how state and county lead programs might work with tribal nations, what resources and materials may be available, and potential opportunities for future tribal-state and tribal-county partnerships to accomplish this work.
NIHB will focus energies on two Indian Health Service regions, based on expressed interest from elected tribal leaders and tribal programmatic and clinical staff who work in lead. Please note: NIHB will support the travel of all approved tribal convening attendees.
If your tribe is interested in participating in this initiative, please contact Stephen Valliere, Public Health Coordinator, by Tuesday, April 30, Close of Business at svalliere@nihb.org or 202-507-4802.
Kick Butts Day 2019: Tobacco Use Among Youth Is Rising
March 2019
Kick Butts Day is March 20, 2019. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Indoor Environments Division supports efforts to educate America’s youth about the health risks of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
In the United States
- Cigarette smoking accounts for one in five deaths annually—that’s more than 480,000 deaths per year, or 1,300 deaths every day.
- Secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for 41,000 deaths per year.
- Smokers die an average of 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.
- Tobacco use among youth is rising, and e-cigarettes are the main reason.
Learn more from EPA about secondhand tobacco smoke and why good indoor air quality is important for your health.
