Combating Zika: The USAID Response

By responding to the Zika virus epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, USAID is reducing the outbreak’s impact on at-risk countries as well as preventing its potential spread to the United States. Our focus is to protect individuals, particularly pregnant women, from Zika by controlling the spread of the virus, increasing awareness of how the virus is transmitted and how to prevent infection, improving disease detection and monitoring of transmission, and supporting people who are affected. In addition, USAID is conducting research and catalyzing the development of innovative tools to combat mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, so that the world is better prepared for the next outbreak. USAID’s efforts support countries’ ability to respond to Zika as well as future disease threats, because we know that strength abroad means safety at home.