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HHS grants $5 million to Puerto Rican health centers to fight Zika
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The Department of Health and Human Services will grant $5 million to 20 health centers in Puerto Rico to support the country’s fight against Zika virus, according to a press release. The funds will be used to increase staff and expand family planning services such as providing contraceptives.
Sylvia M. Burwell
“In Puerto Rico, and around the world, the Zika virus is a serious and challenging health threat,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in the release. “We are committed to doing everything we can to combat this threat and to help strengthen health care in Puerto Rico.”
According to the CDC, 474 cases of Zika virus infection have been reported in Puerto Rico. The agency anticipates the number of infections will rise, increasing the risk for local transmission.
The CDC recently concluded that Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects. In addition, the virus has been linked to pregnancy loss and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Currently, the 20 health centers and their 84 sites serve 330,000 people, including 80,000 women aged 15 to 45 years, the release said. Each year, the health centers provide prenatal care to more than 3,300 pregnant women, deliver 2,000 infants and provide contraceptive services to more than 16,600 people.
For more information: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/02/08/fact-sheet-preparing-and-responding-zika-virus-home-and-abroad.