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Amata Announces $250,000 Grant Award to Fight Zika

July 1, 2016

Washington, D.C. –Friday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, is pleased to announce the awarding of a grant in the amount of $251,073 to the American Samoa Department of Health to assist in the fight against Zika in the territory.

“With the increasing occurrences of Zika here in American Samoa, I am happy to announce that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has awarded this grant to help combat this awful virus,” stated Amata.

More than 50 cases of Zika have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and that number is expected to rise. Scientists at CDC have concluded, after careful review of existing evidence, that Zika virus can cause microcephaly and other potentially severe fetal brain defects. Zika virus infection during pregnancy has also been linked to fetal death and other adverse birth outcomes.

These discretionary grant funding will be used in the ongoing fight against Zika in American Samoa, through prevention, treatment, and education.

“I want to thank CDC officials for their insight in awarding this grant, as well as Benjamin Sili and the other American Samoan officials who worked to help our island obtain this important funding,” concluded Amata.

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Issues:Healthcare