Washington, D.C. – Governor Doug Ducey announced his support for the FORWARD Act (H.R. 6562), legislation that Congressman David Schweikert and several of his colleagues introduced in the House of Representatives to provide critical resources to the state of Arizona to fight Valley Fever. Arizona has experienced an increase in the number of reported cases of Valley Fever. From January 2018, there were 4,639 new cases of Valley Fever reported in the state, compared to only 3,177 cases reported in the first six months of 2017.

Rep. Schweikert, co-chair of the Valley Fever Task Force, introduced this legislation with other Task Force members to bolster research for Valley Fever and encourage treatment development for orphan fungal diseases. As Arizona is home to a reported 68.3% of Valley Fever diagnosed cases, this legislation is crucial to supporting the health of the state.

To read the full text of the FORWARD Act follow this link.

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