Anna Spelman has been covering the Zika virus in central Miami and Central America for the past year. From her application to the award selection committee:
The intersection of religion, women’s rights, and healthcare is vital in the case of Zika. In places where access to health care is already limited, and in a countries where Catholicism and government policy frown on birth control and abortions, what are women doing in order to prevent the possibility of contracting the virus and possible causing microcephaly in their unborn children? What can they do? How does this affect their daily lives and ability to take care of their families and live a normal life?
She continues to work on her project. Some previews from her upcoming work are below.
Dagmary Fernández, 5 months pregnant, attends a group prenatal session at Hospital Universitario in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in which they discuss how to prevent Zika.Dagmary Fernández, 5 months pregnant, in her home in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. She says she does her best to comply with Zika prevention recommendations at home, like using repellent, getting rid of standing water, and cleaning her house.Dagmary Fernández, 5 months pregnant, in her home in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. She says she does her best to comply with Zika prevention recommendations at home, like using repellent, getting rid of standing water, and cleaning her house.Judith Torres, a Puerto Rico Department of Health Worker, hands out condoms to Maroon 5 concertgoers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 15, 2016. She makes sure to give them information about the Zika virus and how it can be sexually transmitted.Judith Torres, a Puerto Rico Department of Health Worker, hands out condoms to Maroon 5 concertgoers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 15, 2016. She makes sure to give them information about the Zika virus and how it can be sexually transmitted.A table set up by the Center for Disease Control and the Puerto Rico Department of Health has condoms and informational brochures about the prevention of Zika at a Maroon 5 concert in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 15, 2016.
