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D617 – Public Health core functions and essential services
Task 2: Developing a Strategy to Address a Public Health Crisis
A 1: Scenario
, 2
The selected scenario in this assignment is Environmental Health Policies, which
involves lead contamination in drinking water and the reaction of the public health to this policy,
such as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The issue of lead contamination of drinking
water is a serious environmental health issue due to its long-term health impacts. To solve this
issue, collaboration of enforcement, education, and community engagement is necessary.
A2: Health-Oriented Organization
The best agency that should lead in this move is the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). As a federal agency, the EPA is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that
there is quality drinking water and that environmental standards are met in the United States. It
operates on the federal level but collaborates with state and local agencies to act and enforce
policies, to provide funds, and to enforce water safety laws.
B1: Prevalence and Incidence of Disparities
The issue of lead contamination of drinking water is a serious potential risk to children
and other vulnerable groups. The prevalence of lead in drinking water among children, infants,
and fetuses because they consume formula mixed with water. Those using the formula are
exposed by 40% to 60% (EPA, 2026) . Exposure to lead has been associated with severe health
outcomes and developmental delays, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in children (Lu et al.,
2022). This and the other consequences are a reminder of the urgency of addressing the problem
of lead contamination as a matter of concern among public health issues.
Low-income families, rural communities relying on their own wells, and urban
communities with older housing systems are the most vulnerable groups. Geiger et al. (2021)
state that households with a private well are more susceptible since it is not regulated or
monitored. Also, exposure to lead is still high in residential water systems, especially in older
D617 – Public Health core functions and essential services
Task 2: Developing a Strategy to Address a Public Health Crisis
A 1: Scenario
, 2
The selected scenario in this assignment is Environmental Health Policies, which
involves lead contamination in drinking water and the reaction of the public health to this policy,
such as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The issue of lead contamination of drinking
water is a serious environmental health issue due to its long-term health impacts. To solve this
issue, collaboration of enforcement, education, and community engagement is necessary.
A2: Health-Oriented Organization
The best agency that should lead in this move is the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). As a federal agency, the EPA is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that
there is quality drinking water and that environmental standards are met in the United States. It
operates on the federal level but collaborates with state and local agencies to act and enforce
policies, to provide funds, and to enforce water safety laws.
B1: Prevalence and Incidence of Disparities
The issue of lead contamination of drinking water is a serious potential risk to children
and other vulnerable groups. The prevalence of lead in drinking water among children, infants,
and fetuses because they consume formula mixed with water. Those using the formula are
exposed by 40% to 60% (EPA, 2026) . Exposure to lead has been associated with severe health
outcomes and developmental delays, lower IQ, and behavioral problems in children (Lu et al.,
2022). This and the other consequences are a reminder of the urgency of addressing the problem
of lead contamination as a matter of concern among public health issues.
Low-income families, rural communities relying on their own wells, and urban
communities with older housing systems are the most vulnerable groups. Geiger et al. (2021)
state that households with a private well are more susceptible since it is not regulated or
monitored. Also, exposure to lead is still high in residential water systems, especially in older
