The Centers for Disease Control – CGH has announced a call for proposals to strengthen Central Asia’s health systems to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS deaths through the implementation of innovative, evidence-based prevention, testing, care, and treatment services to at-risk populations.
Additionally, this NOFO will strengthen SI systems to achieve HIV epidemic control as well as enhance the ability for the health systems to strengthen public health security, preparedness, and response to emerging and re-emerging diseases.
Goals and Priorities
Goals and priorities include the following:
Reducing the prevention and treatment gaps for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), children, and key populations (KPs);
Strengthening national and local programmatic, financial, and community leadership;
Designing new partnerships with key private, public, and multi sector entities that can complement existing programs and expand reach;
Utilizing the PEPFAR platform for broader disease surveillance and public health programming, consistent with the PEPFAR legislative and funding authority;
Investing in the scale-up of cutting edge behavioral and implementation science to bend the curve on new infections;
Improving the care and treatment of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and related opportunistic infections by improving STI management; enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity and the care and treatment of opportunistic infections; interventions for intercurrent diseases impacting HIV infected patients including tuberculosis (TB); and initiating programs to provide anti-retroviral therapy (ART);
Strengthening the capacity of countries to collect, use, and share surveillance data and manage national HIV/AIDS programs by expanding HIV/STI/TB surveillance programs and strengthening laboratory support for surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, disease monitoring, and HIV screening for blood safety.
Funding Information
Approximate Total Fiscal Year Funding: $3,200,000
Approximate Average Award: $3,200,000
Total Period of Performance Length: 5 year(s)
Expected Number of Awards: 2
The expected number of awards is 1-2.
Outcomes
CDC may require or allow applicants to propose additional related project period outcomes other than those identified in the NOFO.
Short-Term Outcomes:
Increased stakeholder knowledge of evidence-based policies and strategies for compliance with global and national standards
Increased coverage of harm-reduction services among at-risk populations
Improved client-centered, comprehensive HIV service approaches
Increased coverage of standardized capacity-building strategies for public sector health institutions and administrative levels
Increased knowledge of the epidemiological workforce to detect and respond to public health security concerns
Intermediate Outcomes:
Increased linkage to client-centered, comprehensive HIV services
Increased adherence to treatment for PLHIV
Improved capacity of the epidemiological workforce to effectively monitor, report, and respond to ongoing HIV transmission
Increased ART initiation, coverage, and adherence for target populations and geographies
Increased VL testing coverage among PLHIV
Long-Term Outcomes:
Increased capacity within the public health system to respond to the HIV epidemic and other public health concerns
Increased VLS rates among PLHIV
Improved HIV program management at all levels
Increased use of high-quality data and evaluation findings by key stakeholders to inform national policy and programs
Strategies and Activities
CDC may require or allow applicants to propose additional related strategies and activities other than those identified in the NOFO to achieve the expected Outcomes.
Strategy 1: Plan and implement evidence-based effective HIV prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction services across all health facilities in compliance with global and national standards
Support the revision of policies and strategies in accordance with updates in international recommendations and standards in a timely manner
Organize regular technical meetings with CDC and other stakeholders that inform activities direction
Expand new and innovative HIV case-finding approaches to improve and optimize case finding:
Develop and implement appropriate and innovative approaches for the distribution of HIV self-testing and linkages to services
Develop Standard Operating Procedures (standard operating procedures provide training, and implement HIV self-testing)
Develop and implement an optimal new testing algorithm based on international standards and recommendations
Scale up high-quality PrEP program nationwide:
Train medical staff on PrEP based on previously developed PrEP guidelines
Develop and implement e-PrEP database for people on PrEP to monitor PrEP implementation in the country and train medical staff on e-PrEP
Implement and evaluate multi-month PrEP dispensation (MMD)
Support uptake of MAT among PWID
Train medical staff on multiple MAT treatment options
Train medical staff on PWID counseling and referrals to MAT
Support, adjust, and improve Electronic Methadone Register
Strategy 2: Coordinate and support comprehensive capacity-building strategies to improve client-centered HIV care and treatment and associated co-morbidities for at-risk populations
Update care and treatment clinical protocol according to the latest WHO recommendations
Train health care workers (HCWs) including primary HCWs on the new clinical protocol and HIV case management
Implement ‘Test and Treat’ to ensure rapid initiation of ART for diagnosed PLHIV
Work on successful transition to optimal ART regimens (e.g., TLD) through training and mentoring of medical staff
Re-engage PLHIV, including KP, who are currently interrupted in treatment
Strategy 3: Enhance the health system’s public health security, preparedness, and response
Conduct trainings on new assays for staff of national and facility level laboratories
Develop, implement, and monitor national laboratory plans
Organize a training/workshop and quality assurance program including EQA and IQC for laboratory staff
Support development of national laboratory plan for strategic planning and implementation of efficient specimen transport, laboratory diagnostics, and return of results
Strengthen implementation of national event- and indicator-based surveillance systems including use of electronic reporting systems for communicable disease surveillance
Strategy 4: Support SI and surveillance systems to collect, manage, monitor, and evaluate program implementation, achievements, and impact
Continue digitalization of surveillance systems
Develop guidelines on Electronic HIV Case Management System (web-EHCMS) with analytical algorithm of HIV and other relevant public health data
Support, adapt, and improve high-quality Electronic Methadone Register (E-MAT-R), as well as implement additional quality improvement (QI) and quality monitoring strategies for MAT
Coordinate E-PrEP expansion
Train medical and surveillance staff on data use and analysis (e.g., dashboards, triangulation, and other business intelligence platforms and tools)
Eligibility Criteria
Government Organizations:
State governments or their bona fide agents (includes the District of Columbia)
Local governments or their bona fide agents
Territorial governments or their bona fide agents in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Palau
State controlled institutions of higher education
American Indian or Alaska Native tribal governments (federally recognized or state-recognized)
Non-government Organizations
American Indian or Alaska native tribally designated organizations
