MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the WHO launched a Strategic Response Framework and Joint Operations Plan aimed at mobilizing resources, communicating protection measures and providing medical care as part of the global fight against the Zika virus outbreak.
"WHO says $56 million is required to implement the Strategic Response Framework and Joint Operations Plan," a Tuesday statement from the WHO reads.
According to the statement, $25 million is needed to fund the anti-Zika activities of the WHO and its regional office for the Americas (AMRO/PAHO), while $31 million would be spent on funding the work of the organization's partners.
The Zika virus is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitoes. It does not cause serious complications in adults, but is suspected of leading to severe brain defects and cases of microcephaly in newborns.
On February 1, the WHO declared the Zika outbreak a public health emergency as the virus was "spreading explosively" across the globe.
