HHS Awards more than $742,000 to Health Centers in American Samoa and the Virgin Islands to Fight Zika

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced more than $742,000 in funding to three health centers in American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help combat the Zika virus. These funds will be used to expand preventive and primary care services, outreach, and patient education and screening. Learn More >>

HHS Awards more than $742,000 to Health Centers in American Samoa and the Virgin Islands to Fight Zika

Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced more than $742,000 in funding to three health centers in American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help combat the Zika virus.

These funds will be used to expand preventive and primary care services, outreach, and patient education and screening. The three health centers and their 12 delivery sites in American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands served nearly 26,000 patients in 2014, including more than 6,000 women age 15 to 45.

“We are working to learn as much about the Zika virus as we can, as quickly as we can, and make sure the public is informed about the steps they can take to minimize their risk, as well as the risk to their families and communities, of getting Zika.” said Secretary Burwell. “Our goal is to reduce the risk of Zika virus, especially among pregnant women and women of childbearing age. We are taking the necessary steps now, like today’s funding announcement to support Zika preparedness and response efforts.”

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 additional funds will allow health centers in these territories to offer a more robust response to the Zika threat,” said Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Acting Administrator Jim Macrae.

These awards build upon the $5 million in funding awarded in March to 20 health centers in Puerto Rico to further combat Zika virus disease.

Nearly 1,400 health centers operate about 9,800 service delivery sites in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin. These health centers employ more than 170,000 staff who provide care for nearly 23 million patients.

List of recipients:

Health Center Grantee	City	State	Award Amount
American Samoa Department of Health	Pago Pago	AS	$250,000
Frederiksted Health Care, Inc.	St. Croix	VI	$250,000
St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation	St Thomas	VI	$242,381