MEDIA REMINDER: PRESS CONFERENCE FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 5

WHAT: Leaders from top medical, governmental, and patient advocacy organizations will gather to call on Congress to provide emergency funding to combat the spread of Zika virus in the United States and prevent more pregnant women from being infected. They will release a letter to Congress calling for immediate passage of Zika funds co-signed by dozens of organizations and businesses.

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An embargoed copy of the sign-on letter will be available here after noon on Monday, April 4.  The embargo will lift when the press conference begins on Tuesday, April 5 at 4:00 pm Eastern time.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 5, 4:00 pm Eastern time

WHERE: Call toll-free 1 (866) 297-6395; confirmation number 42245749.
Please dial the phone number 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.

WHO:  

• Edward R.B. McCabe, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, March of Dimes.
• Hal C. Lawrence, III, MD, Executive Vice President and CEO, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
• James Blumenstock, Chief of Health Security, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).
• Calondra Tibbs, Senior Advisor for Community Health and Safety and Dr. Oscar Alleyne, Senior Advisor, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

MORE INFO: The Administration has requested that Congress pass an emergency supplemental spending bill to provide resources necessary to undertake public health measures and public education to slow the advance of Zika virus across the United States. To date, Congress has not acted on this request.  Zika virus infection among pregnant women has been linked to severe birth defects and other adverse birth outcomes for their infants.  Currently, no vaccine or treatment exists for Zika or the neurological damage it causes.

Media contacts:
March of Dimes: Todd Dezen, tdezen@marchofdimes.org, 917-994-4608
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:  Megan Christin, mchristin@acog.org, 202-863-2553
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials:  Scott Briscoe, sbriscoe@astho.org, 571-527-3173
National Association of County and City Health Officials:  Margaret Pursell, mpursell@naccho.org, 202-507-4235

/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE– April 5, 2016/