On Thursday, October 30, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Arts4All Foundation joined together with the NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Mount Sinai, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and elected officials to host a free community program in recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 25 to 31) and World Stroke Day (October 29).
Lead poisoning is a critical and ongoing public health issue across New York, with children, seniors, pregnant women, families, minorities, and new immigrants in low-income communities facing the highest risk of exposure in their homes, schools, workplaces, and public spaces, Arts4All said in a press release. Despite lead-poisoning rates going down, the population most impacted by it are Asian, Black, and Latino children, who account for 8 out of every 10 newly identified cases under age six, the press release said.
“It is unacceptable that 42% of public schools have tested positive for lead, and there are heightened levels of lead in our homes, workplaces, local parks, and most recently spices such as cinnamon and turmeric,” said Dr. Sumita SenGupta, the founder of the Arts4All Foundation, an education expert and organizer of the program. “Creating safer, cleaner, and healthier homes, schools, workplaces, and public spaces starts with addressing lead hazards, testing people of all ages, and taking the necessary steps to identify and eliminate sources as well as provide immediate treatment to dangerous lead exposure.”
The National Lead Poisoning Prevention program included a public forum and presentations by Assistant Commissioner Andrew Faciano of Environmental Disease and Prevention (EDP) and Public Health Educator Charlene Gordon from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal expert Dr. Uday P. Patil, and Mount Sinai Public Health and Pediatrics expert Dr. Maida P. Galvez. Executive Director of the Healthy Homes Program Yma Andries and Director of the Environmental Exposure Assessment & Education Program Paromita Hore attended the event. The elected officials who spoke were Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, New York State Senator John Liu, and New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, the keynote speaker of the program.
ADVERTISEMENT
Several other high profile speakers addressed the issue.
“Lead poisoning is a preventable public health problem that unfortunately disproportionately impacts Asian New Yorkers and children who have among the highest rates of elevated lead levels. Even more alarming is that 20% of South Asian adults with 15% of children are currently testing positive for lead poisoning in neighborhoods across Queens, said New York State Senator John Liu. “As Chairperson of New York City Education Committee and State Senator of one of the largest Asian populations in the nation, I am committed to working with the DOE, DOH, and the legislature in addressing this long-standing health disparity and help protect the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”
The program concluded with lead prevention resources and materials distributed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Bengali, and Hindi.