CDC Grant for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Activities

3. Justification for Less than Maximum Competition:
This FOA is limited to State Governments or their Bona Fide Agents and Local Governments or their Bona Fide Agents. Large cities must have a valid limit population size of at least 750,000 using 2010 U.S. Census data or a 2011-2013 U.S. Census data update. To appropriately follow-up on cases of lead poisoning and proactively prevent additional cases, awardees must have the authority in their jurisdiction to address case-management activities that may involve Medicaid, housing, environmental regulation, or consumer protection agencies. Awardees must be able to assure that follow-up care is provided for children identified with elevated blood lead levels and that elimination or control of lead hazards occurs within their jurisdictions. State and local governments are the only entities with these required authorities to achieve the mission of the FOA.

The FOA requires applicants to demonstrate the burden of lead poisoning in their jurisdictions and the current request would allow for focusing of limited resources to states and local entities that have the greatest ability to address the housing, environmental, consumer and health care factors that contribute to childhood lead poisoning.

The purpose of these activities is to assist in building surveillance capacity to aid in preventing and, ultimately, eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major public health problem. This FOA goes beyond historical efforts to support childhood lead poisoning surveillance activities, and it will award approximately $11 million through cooperative agreements to use surveillance data to identify the highest risk areas and implement appropriate population-based prevention interventions wherever needs are identified. Examples of such interventions include housing rehabilitation, enforcement of housing and health codes, engagement with health care systems, public and health care provider education campaigns related to lead contamination through other sources (e.g., imported items), and other educational and public health activities. Data may also be used to designate areas as ‘lead safe’ and qualify applicants to apply for a universal blood lead testing waiver through Medicaid.
The surveillance data on the nature and extent of high BLLs should be used to
• identify remaining at-risk geographic areas to target implementation of population-based, primary prevention interventions (e.g., housing rehabilitation, enforcement of housing and health codes, engagement with health care systems, public and health care provider education campaigns related to lead contamination through other sources (e.g., imported items), and other educational and public health activities) and
• evaluate the timeliness and efficacy of case management of children identified with high BLLs