U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant: Strengthening HIV Care Services in South Africa

Achieving primary prevention of HIV infection through activities such as expanding confidential counseling and testing programs linked with evidence based behavioral change and building programs to reduce mother-to-child transmission;
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 and use 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.
Developing, validating and/or evaluating public health programs to inform, improve and target appropriate interventions, as related to the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and opportunistic infections.

In an effort to ensure maximum cost efficiencies and program effectiveness, HHS/CDC also supports coordination with and among partners and integration of activities that promote Global Health Initiative principles. As such, grantees may be requested to participate in programmatic activities that include the following activities:

Implement a woman- and girl-centered approach;
Increase impact through strategic coordination and integration;
Strengthen and leverage key multilateral organizations, global health partnerships and private sector engagement;
Encourage country ownership and invest in country-led plans;
Build sustainability through investments in health systems;
Improve metrics, monitoring and evaluation; and
Promote research, development and innovation.

The purpose of this program is toachieve the following overarching goals consistent with the PEPFAR program in South Africa:

Reducing morbidity and mortality related to HIV/AIDS and TB;
Strengthening the effectiveness of the HIV response system at the district, provincial and national levels;
Preventing new HIV infections; and
Working with the district Department of Health (DOH) and its designees in identifying and setting up policies and programs to improve the district’s response to providing HIV care, treatment and prevention services.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) builds upon previous PEPFAR support under the HHS/CDC HIV clinical services and antiretroviral treatment program to ensure continuing technical assistance to the South African National Department of Health (NDOH) to improve and expand comprehensive HIV/AIDS services to existing and future clients receiving HIV/AIDS care, support and treatment. This announcement will provide funding to Health Systems Trust to enable them to continue technical assistance in South Africa for the expansion of comprehensive HIV prevention, care and antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs.
In addition, the program aims to strengthen and support the current healthcare system (community level, primary care level and tertiary care level) to provide sustainable HIV care and treatment services in collaboration with, and under the direction of, the South African National Department of Health and its provincial, district and local designees. This will be achieved through activities geared at building personnel’s capacity in continuous quality improvement with the establishment of standards of care, supporting mentorship and training of clinical and ancillary staff, and ensuring adherence to National Care and Treatment guidelines. Applicants will be expected to work under the direction of the district and provincial health authorities, and also in conjunction with the USG designated district coordination partner. Moreover, applicants may be expected to respond to one or more CDC priority districts as the district coordinating partner in one of more of the following provinces:

Free-State
Eastern Cape
KwaZulu-Natal
Northwest