LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — As the Zika virus continues to spread, Hillary Clinton is proposing a new fund to improve the federal government’s response to major public health crises.
The Democratic presidential nominee says the US is failing to sufficiently invest in public health preparedness, not only for Zika, but health threats from potentially pandemic diseases, climate change and possible bioterrorism.
If elected, Clinton would create what she’s calling a “Public Health Rapid Response Fund” to help federal agencies and local hospital systems respond faster and more aggressively — similarly to how the government responds to a natural disaster. The program would allow the executive branch to deploy money and other resources without having to wait for congressional approval.
