A Public Health‒Community Partnership to Address Lead Poisoning in King County, Washington

Am J Public Health. 2024 Dec 5:e1-e4. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307905. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

To strengthen lead poisoning prevention efforts among Afghan children, King County, Washington's Hazardous Waste Management Program partnered with Afghan Health Initiative, a community-based organization. The partnership arranged culturally tailored home visits and follow-ups, in which a health environment investigator and a community health advocate identified lead exposure risks and offered parents guidance. The involvement of an Afghan-led organization significantly increased community responsiveness and case management opportunities, demonstrating how public health‒community collaborations can address health challenges disproportionately affecting refugees and immigrants. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print December 5, 2024:e1-e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307905).