Campaign targets lead poisoning in children
The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo launched a campaign Tuesday to prevent lead poisoning in children in Western New York.
The Wipe Out Lead campaign, a coalition of community and civic groups, will include advertising, grassroots efforts and a telephone hotline — 712-5500 — residents can call to obtain information about how to make their homes safe from lead paint and to get their children tested for lead.
One-third of all lead poisoning cases reported in 2006 in New York State outside of New York City were from six ZIP codes in Western New York — 14207 (Riverside area); 14208, 14211 and 14212 (East Side); 14213 (West Side) and 14215 (University Heights) — according to the foundation.
“At least 2,000 children in our community have already had their potential undermined by this health hazard despite that it is 100 percent preventable,” Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president and chief executive officer of the foundation, said in a statement.
Groups involved in the campaign include BlueCross Blue- Shield of Western New York, the City of Buffalo, Erie County, Buffalo Block Clubs, the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Buffalo and Vicinity, Community Action Organization of Erie County, Buffalo Pre-natal Peri-natal Network, Environmental Education Associates and Family Environmental Health Resources.
For more information, visit www.WipeOutLead.com .
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