ACOG Statement on U.S. Senate Passage of Zika Funding Package

Washington, DC—Thomas Gellhaus, M.D., President of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), released the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s passage of a Zika virus funding package:

“The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) commends the U.S. Senate for today’s passage of a comprehensive Zika funding package. This marks a pivotal moment in the fight against the Zika virus in our country where the U.S. Congress has an opportunity to show the American people that it is capable of rising above partisanship for the health of its citizens.

“ACOG’s 57,000 members are on the front lines, caring for women whose pregnancies are at risk from Zika and Zika’s devastating birth defects. This funding package will provide emergency funds to further Zika vaccine development, research and prevention.

“Our Nation needs immediate action. We hope the U.S. House will move swiftly to pass this package and send it to the president for signature.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 58,000 members, ACOG strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. www.acog.org