August 27, 2021

Manchin, Capito Announce $451K To Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning In West Virginia

Charleston, WV – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $451,668 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) for childhood lead poisoning prevention.

“Childhood lead poisoning is a heartbreaking threat to children across West Virginia.” Senator Manchin said, “This funding from the CDC will support efforts in West Virginia to strengthen blood lead testing, reporting and surveillance to help eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the Mountain State. Keeping our children safe and healthy is the top priority of every parent, and I will continue to support this program to help keep our children safe from lead poisoning.”

“Children under the age of six are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can cause delays in development and learning difficulties. This funding announced today will help maintain our state’s prevention, detection, and response to these types of cases, while further establishing our blood testing capabilities. Our state health department and local health centers need to be prepared for all emergencies, including those that impact our children. I will continue to use my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee to advocate for and help provide the resources we need to keep our youth in West Virginia healthy,” Senator Capito said.