Lead Safe Milwaukee: A Collaborative Effort to Reduce Lead Exposure and Advance Health Equity

Project Summary:

Thousands of Milwaukee’s children are exposed to dangerous levels of lead, leading to lifelong health impacts as the city lags behind national prevention efforts. Within City limits, where 88% of homes were built before the 1978 lead paint ban, over 1,200 children ranked in the top 2.5% nationally for blood lead levels in 2023. Alarmingly, only about half of Milwaukee’s children are tested by age two, leaving many cases undetected. Housing inequities amplify these risks, particularly in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, where deteriorating paint is prevalent. Wisconsin’s challenges are compounded by sustained underinvestment in safe housing and lead prevention. Without coordinated action, disparities in lead exposure will widen along racial and socioeconomic lines. This project seeks to address these issues by strengthening connections between existing initiatives. 1) an ongoing assessment by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership to identify evidence-based strategies to improve lead testing 2) a robust care coordination partnership between Children’s Wisconsin and Milwaukee Health Department, and 3) the previously funded Prevent Lead MKE campaign, which strengthened community engagement and awareness. To drive measurable progress, this project will unify these efforts under three specific aims: 1) Building Stronger Collective Impact Infrastructure and Systems Alignment by developing a shared measurement system and establishing a formal governance structure for collaboration. 2) Increasing Lead Testing for Detection and Prevention by translating the findings of a recent MHCP-funded landscape assessment into evidence-based initiatives. 3) Caring for Lead Poisoning Across the Lifespan by expanding existing clinical partnerships into new sectors to support lead poisoning as a lifelong condition. With these strategies, Wisconsin can advance toward a future where all children are protected from the harmful effects of lead.

Community Partners: COLE Lead Safe Healthy Home Project