Town Hall Meeting focuses on funding
by Thelma Sardin
Jean Carter-Hill, executive director of Imagine Englewood if (IEi) says lead poisoning is a threat in the Englewood community. Earlier this year, Carter-Hill and Imagine Englewood if launched, Lead Free Englewood, a campaign to make residents aware of lead poisoning.
On March 26, Imagine Englewood If hosted, Lead-Poisoning: Who Speaks for the Children, Our Future? A roundtable of panelists discussed lead-poisoning and legislative remedies for the children of greater Englewood.
State Senator Mattie Hunter was present along with officials from the EPA, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and Lead-Safe Illinois.
At the meeting, Sen. Hunter says she has been successful in the past at setting a standard for lead and lead-substitute products in toys for children, as well as other environmental health hazards. She cautioned, however, that manufacturers may oppose legislation that places a financial burden on them.
Carter-Hill said the meeting was held to inform the community about lead poisoning and to invite legislators to help figure out what part they can play to help restore lead poisoning screening funding.
The Imagine Englewood if executive director also said she does not believe lead poisoning is overlooked by African Americans, but that they simply dont have [the] info.
Carter-Hill says more funding is needed to screen students to gain an accurate number of how many children in Englewood have contracted lead.
According to a press release, recent budget cuts and inadequate enforcement of current lead-prevention laws have resulted in fewer screenings. IEis main objective is to increase screenings and treatment for Englewood children.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that approximately 250,000 U.S. children aged 1-5 years have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, the level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated.
Closer to home the numbers become more frightening. Posted on IEis website are the Chicago Public Health Departments (CPHD) numbers for lead poisoning in Englewood. According to (CPHD), 4454 (39.3%) of Englewood's 11,339 children, ages 0-6, were screened for lead-poisoning in 2008, with 567 (12.7%) recording elevated lead blood levels. With less than half of all Englewood children in that age range screened in '08, recent budget cuts have resulted in even fewer screenings.
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