October 24, 2025 (Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) – This year’s theme, Healthy Communities Start With Lead-Safe Homes, reminds us that every child deserves a safe start. Across the USAPI, jurisdictions are engaged in lead poisoning prevention, with PIHOA providing regional support and technical assistance, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) providing both funding and technical assistance to strengthen these efforts.
In American Samoa, the American Samoa Department of Health, ASDOH Environmental Health Services Division has launched a week-long lead screening program for children enrolled in Head Start/Early Childhood Education. As of yesterday, 325 children from four Head Start sites have already been tested — a major step toward understanding and preventing lead exposure in the islands.
We also celebrate the leadership of the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS). Last Friday, the Lieutenant Governor of Guam signed a proclamation declaring October 19–25, 2025, as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in the territory—reaffirming Guam’s high-level commitment to protecting children’s health.Together—with CDC, ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other partners, PIHOA is proud to support the expansion of lead poisoning prevention programs across the Pacific, building a healthier, lead-free future for all island communities.