(Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021) Global Liver Institute (GLI) applauds the leadership of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)  in introducing the COVID-19 Prevention and Awareness Act (CPAA). The current COVID-19 pandemic is putting unprecedented pressure on our nation’s health care system, including by disproportionately impacting people with certain underlying medical conditions like liver disease and leading to stark disparities in health outcomes by race. The CPAA would play an integral role in empowering the communities that have been hit hardest with the means to protect their health and well-being amid a global crisis.

Specifically the CPAA would:

• Authorize Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-based non-profits grants to bolster efforts towards medically vulnerable populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Authorize $2.12 billion to expand and support wellness communications and direct services carried out by FQHCs and non-profits that protect individuals with underlying medical conditions from contracting COVID-19.
• Strengthen FQHCs and community-based non-profits efforts in providing culturally appropriate COVID-19 health, safety and precautionary guidance, including information on a COVID-19 vaccination.
• Provide federal resources to conduct screening, surveillance, and diagnostic testing for conditions evidenced to increase the possibility of developing severe illness or mortality from COVID-19.

GLI could not be more appreciative of the transparency and collaborative nature that Congresswoman Velázquez has shown the liver health advocacy community for some time. We look forward to continuing to work with the Congresswoman to advance this critical act and many other important initiatives. We will also continue to fight to ensure that people with liver disease are not disproportionately impacted by this global pandemic and to elevate liver health policy to its rightful place on the global public health agenda commensurate with the prevalence of liver disease.

Please stay tuned to learn more how you can help us advance this bill and other critical 2021 liver health policy initiatives. Sign up online to receive GLI news and policy updates. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out at glipolicy@globalliver.org.

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About Global Liver Institute

Global Liver Institute (GLI) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, with offices in the U.S. and Europe. GLI’s vision is for liver health to take its place on the global public health agenda commensurate with its prevalence and impact. GLI’s mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by liver disease through promoting innovation, encouraging collaboration, and supporting the scaling of optimal approaches to help eradicate liver diseases. Follow GLI on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For more information contact

Andrew Scott
Global Liver Institute
ascott@globalliver.org