HRSA Announces $17 Million to Reach Populations in U.S. Territories Affected by Zika

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) plans to award approximately $17 million to health departments in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa to combat the Zika virus (ZIKV).

The funding is being made available under the Zika Response and Preparedness Act, and will help provide access to comprehensive health care and support services for children and families affected by Zika in these territories.

As of November 2, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 29,462 locally acquired cases of ZIKV in Puerto Rico, 47 in American Samoa, and 565 in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“The current spread of the Zika virus poses a significant threat to public health, including the health of women, children and families,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “This funding will help support a set of services for the maternal and child health population.”

“Children born to mothers who test positive for Zika virus during pregnancy will require coordinated, multidisciplinary care that includes consistent follow up and management,” said HRSA Associate Administrator for Maternal and Child Health Michael Lu. “A comprehensive system of care is an integral part of meeting the needs of children born to mothers who test positive for Zika.”

Activities to be supported through the Zika Maternal and Child Health Services Program include:

• Developing and implementing a plan to screen, identify, assess, and follow up with infants and children born to mothers who are Zika positive during pregnancy, and infants infected after birth.
• Building local service delivery capacity, including workforce and equipment.
• Implementing family engagement strategies and delivering family-to-family support services to meet the needs of women, children and families who are or may be affected by Zika infection.

For more information about available federal resources to help states respond to Zika, read HRSA’s Zika Resource Guide: http://www.hrsa.gov/zika/resourcesforchildrenzika.pdf.

To learn more about the HRSA and how it is addressing the Zika virus, visit http://www.hrsa.gov/zika/index.html.
For more information on the U.S. efforts to combat the Zika virus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/zika/.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.  For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.