BALTIMORE, MD (May 19, 2016)–Today Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement following this week’s votes by Congress to approve funding to combat the Zika Virus:

“While we commend Congress for finally answering the call of local jurisdictions to join the fight against the potential spread of the Zika virus, the level of funding included in this week’s votes is insufficient to fully respond to this threat and will be particularly disastrous for urban centers across the country who are serving on the frontlines of this public health emergency.

By refusing to fully support President Obama’s request for $1.9 billion to fight the Zika virus, Congress is forcing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to shift nearly $45 million from state and local public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) funds to pay for Zika preparedness at the federal level. Passing this financial burden onto local jurisdictions is essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul; impeding our ability to do our jobs to secure the safety and welfare of communities.

The mosquitoes that carry Zika are “container breeders” and their impact will be felt most in our cities. Fully funding Zika preparedness at the local level with a focus on our urban jurisdictions will ensure that we are both prepared to address this potential public health crisis and equipped for additional emergencies.

Public health services need to be there when we need them most and we call on Congress to strengthen, not limit, local capacity to respond to this emerging public health threat.”