On April 1^st, a delegation of state and local public health professionals from Arizona joined up with experts across the county at CDC’s Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta. Arizona has already done quite a bit in preparation for the arrival of Zika virus in Arizona, including developing response plans, meeting monthly with state and local partners to ensure statewide coordination, conducting ongoing mosquito and human surveillance, and educating healthcare providers and other partners about Zika diagnosis and prevention.

After attending the CDC Summit, we saw a great opportunity to pull together a statewide, multidisciplinary group of partners to host our own Zika summit. This Arizona Zika planning meeting will allow attendees to gain a shared knowledge and understanding of multiple facets of Zika virus and provide a forum for coordinated, statewide planning for preparedness and response. It will include presentations of the latest Zika virus science and best practices for prevention as well as focused breakout sessions on topics of interest for healthcare providers, public health professionals, vector control staff, health communicators, and other response partners.

We’re fortunate to have such a dedicated and proactive group of partners in the state who have already ensured Arizona’s readiness to respond to Zika virus cases and prevent widespread outbreaks. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to bring key planning partners together all in the same place to share information and resources, identify any remaining planning gaps, and further strengthen Arizona’s readiness to prevent Zika.