Physicians call for funding, strategies to control Zika

As mosquito season escalates in many states, physicians and others sounding the alarm that the United States needs to act quickly to control the Zika virus, particularly when it comes to pregnant women for whom the virus could mean devastating consequences for their unborn babies. The need for immediate action On the heels of a letter in late May that urged Congress to make sufficient funding available to combat the virus, delegates at the 2016 AMA Annual Meeting called on lawmakers to act immediately in the best interest of public health. “Without sufficient funding for research, prevention, control and treatment of illnesses associated with the Zika virus, the United States will be ill-equipped to deploy the kind of public health response needed to keep our citizens safe and healthy,” incoming AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, MD, said in a news release. Among the confirmed birth defects associated with the virus are microcephaly and other congenital brain abnormalities. New policy also directs the AMA to work with experts in all relevant disciplines to help develop needed strategies to limit the spread and impact of the virus. Putting safeguards in place Delegates also adopted policy that aims to get in front of public health threats before they become crises. The new policy encourages the reauthorization and appropriation of sufficient funds to a public health emergency fund within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to facilitate adequate res...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news