WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is urging parents and homebuilders to make their homes more healthy by getting rid of lead paint, mold, and other hazards.

Acting Surgeon General Steven Galson and Housing Deputy Secretary Ron Sims launched a coordinated federal effort Tuesday to prevent diseases and injuries from potential health dangers in the home.

"In the United States today, the leading preventable causes of death, disease, and disability are asthma, lead poisoning, deaths in house fires, falls on stairs and from windows, burns and scald injuries and drowning in bathtubs and pools," Galson said.

Among the safety actions the new effort is promoting:

_Improvement of air quality in homes by installing radon and carbon monoxide detectors.

_Control of allergens that contribute to asthma and mold growth.

_Testing of houses occupied by children less than six years of age for lead.

The www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that about 24 million homes have significant lead-based paint hazards.

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