In recent weeks, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was detected in Wuhan City, China, and the virus has spread to a growing number of countries, including the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is taking aggressive public health measures to help protect the health of Americans, including requesting that the CDC Foundation activate its Emergency Response Fund to provide support to rapidly emerging response needs. The CDC Foundation today announced a catalytic donation of $1 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in support of this fund.

With Hurricane Florence churning toward the U.S. East Coast, the potential for catastrophic damage from winds and flooding looms large. To ready a response addressing immediate and long-term health challenges generated by the storm, the CDC Foundation today activated its Emergency Response Fund for Hurricane Florence. This fund is used to extend the emergency response efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health organizations working on the ground in affected communities.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit a variety of dangerous viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika, which in 2015–2016 spread rapidly in certain parts of the world. Today, new strategies are needed to control these mosquitoes, which are prevalent in many countries with tropical climates and in a number of U.S. states and territories. To further the search for innovative strategies to control Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hosted a two-day summit in Atlanta.

To support efforts to stem the Zika outbreak, the CDC Foundation announced a $1 million donation from the Pfizer Foundation in funding for the comprehensive Zika response. Additionally, in-kind donations of up to 170,000 doses of injectable reversible contraceptive product from Pfizer have been provided for the Zika Contraception Access Network (Z-CAN) in Puerto Rico. In addition to donations of products and funding from multiple partners, this donation will provide essential support against this growing health threat for women who choose to delay or avoid pregnancy.

As Zika virus continues its rapid spread throughout Puerto Rico and with mosquito season underway, the CDC Foundation announced today that the Zika Contraception Access Network (Z-CAN) is now operational. The Network is providing women in Puerto Rico with a full range of contraceptive options free of charge on the same day of their healthcare service. 

A new communications campaign aimed at empowering pregnant women on how to prevent Zika virus transmission has launched in Puerto Rico. The campaign, part of an effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Foundation, the Puerto Rico Department of Health and other partners announced in May, also focuses on empowering the social networks surrounding pregnant women—including partners, families, neighbors and community members—to take action to #StopZika in their homes and communities.