Acting U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Henry Jardine launched a regional conference that increased understanding about the threat from the Zika virus. The conference, hosted on July 12 by the Thai Ministry of Public Health, was the first in a series of meetings in countries across Asia to address the Zika virus, which is linked to birth defects during pregnancy. The seminars are supported by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Royal Thai Government, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and World Health Organization. The “Regional Consultation Toward a Southeast Asia Framework for Zika Virus Preparedness and Response” is designed to harmonize best practices and strengthen Zika virus surveillance and response networks across Asia.
