Tell Congress: Increase Funding to Combat the Zika Virus

The Zika virus is a public health crisis, there's no denying it. The World Health Organization has declared the Zika Virus a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern", spreading explosively in the Americas and more than 50 other countries. The White House has put together a $1.9 billion plan to tackle the problem — but Congress has pushed back and proposed a significantly smaller amount. 

The medical community has spoken, and every penny of funding is needed to address the crisis. Now is no time to cut budgets. 

AmeriCares is on the frontlines of the Zika crisis, caring for patients with suspected infections and providing education on how to prevent the disease. The $1.9 billion in requested emergency funding to combat the disease would help speed the development of a vaccine, allow people — especially pregnant women — to get tested and receive prompt results, focus on preventative measures, and ensure that states and communities have the resources they need to fight the mosquito that carries this virus.

Please act immediately. Every day Congress waits elongates this crisis and places more risk on women of reproductive age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, as well as children with complications from Zika virus infection.