HHS Awards Money for Flint Exposure Registry
Michigan State University is getting $3.2 million to establish a registry of Flint, Mich., residents who were exposed to lead-contaminated water from the Flint water system during 2014-2015. The money is the first installment of a four-year, $14.4 million grant.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is giving Michigan State University $3.2 million to establish a registry of Flint, Mich., residents who were exposed to lead-contaminated water from the Flint water system during 2014-2015. The money is the first installment of a four-year, $14.4 million grant.
Michigan State will use the funds in partnership with the city of Flint leadership and other community organizations, clinical partners and educators, and stakeholders that serve Flint residents. They will address community health concerns related to lead exposures, monitor health outcomes among registrants, and expand efforts to reduce and eliminate lead in the community.
"This funding is a continuation of the Trump administration's commitment to support the affected or at-risk residents of Flint, Michigan, who have been exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water," said HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price. "Flint residents will benefit from having their health monitored over time and from being readily connected to services that will help reduce the health effects of lead exposure. Information collected by the registry will guide important health decisions and recommendations for the city of Flint and the state of Michigan for years to come."
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., CDC's director and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, said CDC is committed to supporting the Flint Lead Exposure Registry as part of ongoing efforts to reduce and prevent exposure to lead. "Using our experience with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention program, we will work hard to make sure that the Registry meets the needs of Flint residents affected by this crisis," she added.
The 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act authorized funding for the registry, which will collect baseline and follow-up information from eligible residents.