New Money Needed To Address Zika, White House Says; Policymakers, Experts Discuss Family Planning Needs In Outbreak Response

The Hill: White House shoots down using Ebola money to fight Zika
“The White House on Friday brushed aside a House Republican proposal to use leftover Ebola funding to fight the Zika virus. ‘The important work that the United States has done to fight Ebola and to protect the American people from Ebola is not done,’ White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday…” (Fabian, 2/19).

International Business Times: Zika Emergency Funding Sparks Debate Over Abortion For Women In Latin America
“…Beyond Capitol Hill, the growing scare over Zika and Obama’s request for emergency funding has touched off yet another debate within policy and public health circles in the U.S. over abortion, only this time it’s about access to the procedure outside the U.S. Meanwhile, women’s health advocates contend that far more important and relevant than debating abortion is providing basic family planning services and information in a region where neither are widely available. ‘The biggest need right now, in the context of Zika, is for women to get the information that they need to make informed decisions in terms of protecting themselves from potential exposure to Zika and access to contraception,’ Jen Kates, the director of global health and HIV policy for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D.C., said…” (Whitman, 2/19).

Reuters: White House, House Republicans spar over Zika, Ebola funding
“…Earnest said that the White House would soon put forward a formal Zika funding request for lawmakers. It will include a plan to redirect some Ebola funds to the Zika fight, but Earnest said new funding was also required…” (Rampton/Rascoe, 2/19).

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