Lead Prevention Program
Lead Poisoning affects as many as 1 in 5 immigrant and refugee children.
Lead exposure has been associated with health, learning and behavior problems as well as kidney damage and brain damage. No amount of lead exposure is considered safe.
If you suspect your child has lead poisoning, contact your child’s doctor right away and ask for a blood test to check for lead in your child’s blood.
At Afghan Health Initiative, we understand how dangerous and common lead poisoning is in our immigrant and refugee children. Because of this urgency, we are working with King County Public Health to facilitate a lead prevention program to protect our community. Under this program, children entering the United States with elevated lead levels are put into this program where we can help prevent further exposure to lead. This includes testing their homes for lead, testing spices, cookware, surma and more for lead and enrolling the family in a swap out pressure cooker and cookware program to provide the family suitable and safe options to protect their families.
KCPH Environmental Investigator talking to a client about sources of Lead in the Environment
AHI Staff Delivering Safe, Lead-Free Pressure Cooker and Safe Cleaning Supplies to Clients
Afghan Health Initiative, has been awarded a grant by the CDC through NACCHO/ASTHO in order to build the evidence base for collaborative approaches to SDoH. NACCHO/ASTHO will evaluate the impact of the coalitions’ recent SDoH experience and highlight successful strategies.
The purpose of this grant is to evaluate our collaborative program with the local health department on our efforts to reduce lead poisoning in Afghan immigrant and refugee children in South King County.
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"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded funds to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) to assess the work of multi-sectors coalitions to advance health equity by addressing social determinants of health (SDoH).
In order to build the evidence base for collaborative approaches to SDoH, the project will evaluate the impact of the coalitions’ recent SDoH experience and highlight successful strategies. CDC awarded funds to ASTHO and the NACCHO (CDC-RFA-OT18-1802)."
Read More:
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/programs-impact/sdoh/community-pilots.htm
NACCHO: https://www.naccho.org/programs/community-health/chronic-disease#copy
Lead PSA English
Lead PSA Pashtu
English:
According to Public Health Professionals, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and WA state department of health, immigrant and refugee Afghan children are at highest risk for lead exposure. Lead Poisoning is a serious health issue that can cause severe mental and physical delays as well as brain and kidney damage. Lead Poisoning can also be fatal over time.
Children are exposed to lead through lead contaminated products from Afghanistan like surma, pressure cookers, and toys. Lead is also found in water, soil, and paint in homes built before 1978. Prevent Lead Poisoning by washing your child’s hands regularly. Clean dusty surfaces. Remove Shoes before entering the house.
If you think your child has been exposed to lead, ask your child’s doctor about a blood test to check for lead in your child’s blood.
Spanish:
Quería tomar un momento para abordar un problema muy importante que enfrentan nuestros hijos, el envenenamiento de plomo.
Según los profesionales de salud pública, la CDC y el departamento de salud del estado de Washington, los niños inmigrantes y refugiados tienen el mayor riesgo de exposición al plomo. El envenenamiento de plomo es un problema de salud grave que puede causar graves retrasos mentales y físicos, así como daño cerebral y renal. Con el paso de tiempo el envenenamiento de plomo puede ser fatal. Los niños que están expuestos al plomo a través de productos contaminados con plomo de países que están recubiertos con plomo, como cosméticos, ollas a presión y juguetes. El plomo también se encuentra en el agua, el suelo y la pintura en casas construidas antes de 1978. Maneras de prevenir el envenenamiento de plomo: Lavando las manos de su hija/o regularmente. Limpie las superficies polvorientas y quítense los zapatos antes de entrar a la casa. Si cree que su hijo ha estado expuesto al plomo, pregúntele al médico de su hijo y háganse un análisis de sangre para verificar si hay plomo en la sangre de su hijo.
Lead PSA Dari/Farsi
Lead PSA Spanish
Pashtu:
ګرانو والدینو ، زه غواړم تاسو سره د افغان ماشومانو په هکله او هغوی ته ګواښوونکې خطرات په اړه معلومات درکړم چی د سرب(اوسپنې بال) له ارخه ورته متوجه دي . د راټول شویو معلوماتو له مخی د متحده ایالاتو د روغتیایې څانګې ، د واشنګټن آیالت د روغتیا ریاست ، او د ناروغیو کنټرول او مخنیوي مرکز (CDC)
څخه د افغان مهاجرینو ماشومانو په وینه کې سرب(اوسپنې بال) یوه ډیره لوړه او ځورونکې مسله ده چې که په مناسب وخت او د سمې ازموینې سره تعقیب نه شي ، نو خدای مکړه جدي ناوړه اغیزې به ولري. سرب(اوسپنې بال) په بیلابیلو لارو د ماشوم وینې جریان ته ننوځي ، لکه د ماشوم زیږون پرمهال د میندو په وینه کي ، د پخلې په لوښو کې د بیلګې په توګه ، د بخار دیګ او نور اوسپنېز توکي ، رانجه ، اوبه او خاوره ، او د 1978 دمخه جوړ شوي دیوالونو رنګ دي.د ماشومانو په وینه کې سرب(اوسپنې بال) ، د مخطلفو ناروغیو لامل کیږي، په ځانګړې ډول د دوې د بدن ، مغز ، او عصبي سیسټم د رشد او ودي مخنیوې کوي. د ضرورت په وخت کې تاسو باید د تشخیص، او درملنې په اړه د خپلو د ماشومانو له ډاکتر سره سلا مشوره وکړئ.
Farsi:
خطرات ناشی از مسمومیت سرب در اطفال و کودکان افغان به شما والدین گرامی اطلاع دهم. قراری اطلاعات به دست آمده از منابع صحی ایلات متحده امریکا، وزارت صحتایالت واشنگتن و مرکزجلوگری و وقایه امراض (CDC).
سرب درخوناطفال مهاجر افغان به یکسطه بسیار بالا و قابل تشویش کننده بوده که اگر به وقت زمان مناسب پیگری و معاینات سورت نه گیرد خدای نا خاسته عوارض جانیبی ناگواری را در پی خواهد داشت. سرب از طروق مختلف وارد خون اطفال میگردد از جمله؛خون مادر در دوران زایمان، وسایل بختوپز (مسلا” دیگ بخار و دیگر اجناسی آهنی)، سرمه، آب و خاک و رنگ دیواریخانه های که قبل از سال ۱۹۷۸ اعمار شده باشد. سربدر خون اطفال باعث جلوگریاز رشت زهنی، و امراض مخطلف دیگر در اطفال می گردد زیرا بدن، مغز، و سیستم عصبی آنها در هالت رشت و نمو میباشد. به خاطر وقایه،تشخیص و در مان در سورت لوزوم هتمن باید با داکتر اطفال تان مشورت نموده و موضع را در جریان بگزارید.
Lead Information and Resources:
WA State Department of Health Resources:
Does Your Child Need a Lead Blood Test? (English): Click Here
Does Your Child Need a Lead Blood Test? (Dari): Click Here
My Child’s Lead Blood Test Result (Dari): Click Here
Prevent Lead Poisoning (Pashtu): Click Here
Pregnancy and Lead (Dari): Click Here
Toxics Prevention Program
Immigrant and Refugee families have a sense of safety and security in the United States in comparison to some of the struggles and traumas experience in their home countries. This false sense of security along with lack of information and advocacy for our immigrant and refugee community means that they are at increased risk of adverse health effects, including by use of toxic chemicals.
Usage of PFAS containing products such as Scotchgard protectant spray have become increasingly common and regularly used in the Afghani immigrant and refugee community in South King County, WA. This increased use is an occurrence resulting from cultural factors and community closeness in which the community shares information with one another about the usefulness of this product. Due to the newness of this population coupled with the lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate information and knowledge about toxic chemicals such as PFAS, the community is unaware of the potential harms resulting from increased and regular usage of these products. At the same time, Washington State Department of Ecology is considering these products for a potential restriction on PFAS as an ingredient because of PFAS’s harmful health effects. It is important to bring the voice of the immigrant and refugee community into the decision making process around PFAS in furniture protectant sprays and to develop appropriate ways to protect the community.
The goal of this project is to understand the usage trends of products containing PFAS in the Afghani community, to provide equitable information that is culturally and linguistically appropriate about these products, and to develop ways to reduce exposure to PFAS in fabric protective sprays in the Afghani community. Additionally, we are working to encourage the Washington State Department of Ecology to restrict the use of PFAS in these products.
This project is in partnership with Toxic Free Future and is sponsored by Safer States.
Health & Wellness Workshops
We host monthly health and wellness workshops with professionals in their fields who provide information, resources, and other health and wellness information and materials. Have a topic you want to learn about? Email us!
Previous workshop topics:
Pregnancy and Motherhood: Physical and Mental Health Workshop
Hypertension Management
Nutrition and Weight Management
Stress & Mental Health Coping
Lead Poisoning & Prevention
Diabetes Management