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By Shelly Lee
Imagine what life might have been like. Instead of being at the head of your class, you struggle with basic concepts. You have difficulty hearing and can’t seem to stay focused on anything for very long. Worst of all, you are completely helpless to change. This is the nightmarish reality that one in 11 children may face because of lead.
In children under the age of six, as little as 10 µg/dL can disrupt the development of neural pathways. Decreased intelligence and behavioral problems are two of the most devastating results of high blood lead levels. In addition, the treatment for lead poisoning, chelation, is expensive, often times painful, and only partially effective. Chelation involves injecting a substance into the child that will bind with the lead in the bloodstream which is then harmlessly removed from the body. Unfortunately, chelation cannot remove lead that has already bonded with hemoglobin, the substance that transports oxygen to the tissues. Chelation is also unable to remove lead that has been incorporated into bones, putting these children at risk of lead poisoning late in life if bone tissue is broken down for some reason, such as a broken bone.
Last spring, community groups and government agencies in Portland came together for the first Lead Summit. Hosted by the Urban League, this summit was convened to address Portland’s lead problems. Portland has lead pipes and lead paint in many of its buildings and homes built before lead was identified as dangerous. Portland, like many large cities, has various programs to address lead issues, but services are often duplicative and inefficient. To address these problems, concerned individuals from the Oregon Health Division, Multnomah County Health Department, the Urban League, and other community groups held the Lead Summit in May 1998 to coordinate individual efforts and to develop a comprehensive and efficient plan for future action.
During the first Lead Summit meeting, three subcommittees were formed, and each was charged with developing a plan for their focus. The subcommittees were: 1) Housing; 2) Prevention, Education, and Advocacy; and 3) Testing and Screening. I became involved in this process last June as a member of the Prevention, Education and Advocacy subcommittee. During the next two meetings, the subcommittee looked at what resources our city has: what groups, agencies, and departments could be brought in to address lead issues. The entire summit meets every two months with subcommittees reporting on their progress at each meeting.
What will be done once the plan is complete? The State of Oregon and the Oregon Medical Assistance Plan (which administers Medicare) have expressed a desire to take action on lead issues, but want the Lead Summit to develop a comprehensive lead strategy first. The Urban League, together with other community groups, wants to ensure that consistent progress is made and that the lead plan is implemented upon completion.
This rewarding project has allowed me to meet citizen groups and to help make a difference here in Portland. If you are interested in more information or would like to get involved in the Lead Summit, call Lore Wintergreen at 280-2662 or Alan Hipolito at 280-2615 at the Urban League.