The Great Lakes Environmental Health Project

Project Description Narrative:

Pound for pound, children eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air relative to their size than adults, and consequently are exposed to relatively higher amounts of contaminants. A child's brain is especially vulnerable to adverse impacts from toxicants, and children are exposed to a wide range of common environmental toxins including tobacco smoke, pesticides, and mercury that can result in chronic health concerns and developmental issues. The total costs of environmentally attributable disease in American children are estimated at $54.9 billion annually.

Through this award, families served by the West Allis Health Department Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program will be empowered to reduce their children's exposure to a variety of environmental health risks through community-based environmental health education and risk-reduction skill-building sessions in order to ultimately reduce health disparities in children.

Community partners: West Allis Health Department