20 Jan 2017

American Samoa awarded Zika funding

7:45 am on 20 January 2017

The US Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services has awarded American Samoa about $US1.1 million in federal grant funding from the Zika Healthcare Services Program.

In announcing the funding, American Samoa's Congresswoman, Aumua Amata Radewagen said the additional funding from the Zika Health Care Services Program would go to preventative measures and increased screening for those at risk.

And she looks forward to continuing to work with the US Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that there would be continued efforts to provide these preventative measures and screening that is so important to combating the disease.

As of early this month, there were 1,036 Zika virus suspected case in American Samoa, with 62 confirmed through laboratory testing.

Of that total 28 are pregnant women.