Tracking Special Projects
Information and resources about the special projects being tracked by the Environmental Public Health Tracking program
New Hampshire Environmental Public Health Tracking, in conjunction with external partners, routinely identifies special project areas that link data to action. These projects are prioritized based on their ability to build capacity within the State’s Public Health System and to inform data driven decision making at the State and local level.
Adult Blood Lead Exposure
Lead exposure is an ongoing health problem for adults across New Hampshire. People at risk include those who work with metal, paint, pigments, or glazes that contain lead, as well as those who have hobbies that can involve lead such as casting and soldering, firearms, or renovation. High levels of lead can harm the health of adults, and even low levels can harm the developing fetuses of pregnant women. Workers can also bring home lead on their body, clothing, shoes, and other belongings that can pose a serious threat to the health and development of young children. The NH Tracking Program, in collaboration with the Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, analyzed blood lead levels in New Hampshire residents age 16 and older from 2013 through 2020. Findings are summarized by age, sex, industry, and trends over time.
Children's Environmental Health
The NH Tracking Program is using data to understand children’s exposures to contaminants and providing online resources to help community health professionals and families reduce exposure, with a focus on asthma triggers, drinking water and lead poisoning. Work over the next three years will include the development of a story map and dashboard to highlight areas for targeted interventions, the creation of an interactive resource guide, and the development of an environmental health training module. Children's Environmental Health focuses on our most vulnerable population because children are not little adults. They are more susceptible to chemical and other contaminants based on their size and developing bodies.
Lead Remediation Grant for Licensed Child Care Facilities
The NH Tracking Program is supporting the NHDES Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water Program in reducing children’s exposure to lead in drinking water in New Hampshire Schools and Child Care facilities by creating a lead risk indicator score to assist with identifying facilities in communities most at risk for lead exposure. Implementation of a lead remediation grant program will disperse a total of $400,000 from the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund to licensed child care facilities for remediation of any drinking water outlets testing lead in water at five parts per billion or above. This funding is available through the end of 2025 and can be used to reimburse any licensed child care facility in the state for up to 100% of their total remediation costs as needed. Remediation actions include replacing faucet fixtures with certified lead-free fixtures, replacing pipes leading to fixtures or installing water filtration systems.
For more information, email CCLeadWater@dhhs.nh.gov or call Laurie Rardin at (603) 271-0357.
Community Health Outlooks
The NH Tracking Program recognized a need for public health data at the community level to assist with program outreach and community health assessments. After geocoding the NH public health datasets to the census tract level, the NH EPHT created individual community snapshots summarizing 35 health-related indicators for 199 communities across New Hampshire. The chosen indicators represent community characteristics, risk factors, health behaviors, and health outcomes, thus reflecting a suite of conditions that impact health. Data are summarized to highlight geographic, demographic, and time trends.
- Community Health Outlook Reports: Small Area Analysis to Support Public Health Action
- Access reports on the NH DHHS Data Portal
Social Determinants (SVI)
Every community must prepare for and respond to hazardous events, whether a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or disease outbreak, or a human‐made event, such as a harmful chemical spill. The NH EPHT Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a web-based tool that allows users to examine which communities may be most vulnerable to external stressors due to factors such as poverty, lack of access to transportation or disability.