Strengthening and Enhancing National HIV/AIDS Prevention, Diagnosis, Care,Treatment, Monitoring Surveillance of Communicable Non communicable Diseases with the MOH in the Republic of Haiti under PEPFAR,Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is CDC RFA GH15-1527?

CDC RFA GH15-1527 is a PEPFAR-supported discretionary cooperative agreement run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its purpose is to strengthen the Government of Haiti's ability, through the Ministry of Health and Population (MSPP), to lead and manage a sustainable national HIV/AIDS response while also reinforcing broader public health systems that address other major health threats.

2) Who is the funder and what type of funding mechanism is this?

The funder is CDC, operating under the Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund. The mechanism is a discretionary cooperative agreement, which means CDC is expected to have substantial programmatic involvement rather than functioning only as a pass-through funder.

3) What is the overall goal of the opportunity?

The overall goal is to strengthen MSPP leadership and management for a sustainable national HIV response, while improving core public health functions such as governance, standards and regulation, surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce capacity, monitoring and evaluation, referral systems, and quality management.

4) What PEPFAR outcomes does this opportunity aim to support?

The opportunity is intended to keep Haiti on track toward core PEPFAR outcomes: fewer new HIV infections, higher-quality care and treatment for people living with or affected by HIV, and stronger laboratory and surveillance capacity that supports both HIV programs and the broader health system.

5) Who is eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?

The eligible applicant listed for this funding opportunity is Haiti's Ministry of Health and Population (MSPP).

6) How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated a single award.

7) How much funding is available?

The estimated total funding amount is $40,000,000. The award floor is $40,000,000, and the stated award ceiling is $200,000,000.

8) Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

9) What is the CFDA number for this program?

The program is cataloged under CFDA 93.067 (Global AIDS).

10) What were the key dates for the opportunity?

The posting date was January 26, 2015. The application deadline was ultimately set to March 31, 2015. The archive date was April 30, 2015.

11) What relationship does this opportunity have to CDC's prior work in Haiti?

This opportunity builds on a long-running CDC-MSPP partnership that began in 2005. Early investments focused on scaling HIV service delivery through publicly managed, high-volume sites. Over time, especially after the 2012 Partnership Framework emphasized country ownership, the focus expanded to strengthening MSPP governance, regulation, coordination, and management capacity at both national and departmental levels.

12) What does "country ownership" mean in the context of this announcement?

In this announcement, "country ownership" refers to shifting emphasis from externally driven service delivery toward MSPP leadership of Haiti's national HIV response, including setting norms and standards, planning and implementing policy, coordinating partners, regulating activities across public and non-government providers, and using data to guide decisions.

13) Why does the opportunity emphasize health systems strengthening rather than only clinic-based HIV services?

The announcement frames Haiti's HIV response as dependent on a functioning national system that can monitor the epidemic, track patients and services, ensure quality, and continuously adjust strategy. Clinic services like antiretroviral therapy are positioned as essential, but not sufficient without strong surveillance, laboratories, data systems, referral networks, and management capacity.

14) What HIV program progress is highlighted in the description?

The description highlights improvements in surveillance and strategic information, expanded nationwide HIV prevention, care, and treatment, and specific gains in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). It also notes national updates to ART guidelines and an estimate that ART coverage exceeded 75 percent in 2013.

15) What PMTCT policy change is mentioned, and what results are reported?

Haiti adopted Option B in 2012, providing lifelong ART to HIV-infected pregnant and breastfeeding women regardless of CD4 count. From 2010 to 2013, HIV testing among pregnant women increased from 128,540 to 223,626, and the share of identified HIV-infected pregnant women who received prophylaxis or ART rose from 61 percent to 92 percent.

16) What does the announcement say about Haiti's HIV epidemic trends?

It notes that HIV prevalence dropped from about 6 percent in the 1990s and has remained around 2 percent since 2007. The grant frames this as part of a broader stabilization of the epidemic, suggesting reduced transmission as treatment access expanded.

17) Why are referral networks and service mapping included as a focus area?

Because Haiti's health services are delivered by a mix of government and non-government entities, the announcement notes that levels of care and linkages between facilities were historically unclear. Strengthening referral networks includes mapping services, upgrading capacity at referral sites, and supporting better referral practices.

18) What kinds of information systems and monitoring activities are described?

The announcement describes systems to conduct HIV surveillance, monitor patients living with HIV, and track program service delivery. These functions are presented as essential for planning, quality improvement, and accountability.

19) How did the 2010 earthquake influence the scope of work described?

After the January 2010 earthquake destroyed infrastructure and reduced the health workforce, the scope expanded beyond HIV to address other urgent threats. The opportunity emphasizes resilience and adaptation through expanded surveillance, laboratory, and epidemiologic capacity and enhanced ability to respond to multiple diseases.

20) Which non-HIV health threats are specifically mentioned?

The opportunity specifically mentions tuberculosis, cholera, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, and malnutrition as additional urgent threats addressed under the expanded scope.

21) What examples of non-HIV activities and accomplishments are included?

Examples mentioned include increased ability to diagnose and treat cholera, implementation of two rounds of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis, rollout of updated TB and malaria diagnostic guidelines, and strengthened obstetric care capacity at 19 facilities.

22) What role does laboratory system strengthening play in this opportunity?

Laboratory strengthening is presented as a prominent component, supporting patient monitoring, diagnostic access, and outbreak detection and response. The work is closely associated with Haiti's National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP) and broader laboratory network improvements.

23) What specific laboratory achievements by LNSP are highlighted?

The description notes that LNSP expanded CD4 testing coverage to all 10 departments, established laboratory-based surveillance for multiple enteric diseases, improved TB diagnostic capacity, and decentralized activities by supporting two regional facilities (one in the north and one in the south).

24) How does the opportunity address decentralization and departmental capacity?

The focus includes building MSPP capacity not only at the central level but across Haiti's 10 geographic departments. Decentralization is tied to strengthening management, oversight, service delivery linkages, and laboratory capacity outside the capital.

25) What kinds of management and governance capacities are emphasized for MSPP?

The announcement emphasizes strengthening MSPP's ability to set norms and standards, plan and implement policy, coordinate partners, regulate activities across a mixed public and non-government health sector, and improve data use for decision-making.

26) What quality-related approaches are included in the supported activities?

Supported activities explicitly include continuous quality improvement, quality assurance, and quality control, alongside monitoring and evaluation and better use of data to guide program decisions.

27) What role do human resources play in the program design?

Human resources planning and management are described as core pillars. The announcement links sustainability to trained personnel, clear standards, strong oversight, and reliable data systems, especially in light of workforce losses after the 2010 earthquake.

28) Does the opportunity involve managing sub-grantees or implementing entities?

Yes. The announcement states that MSPP supports more than 50 sub-grantees, including central and departmental MSPP offices, health institutions, and one training school. Strengthening MSPP's ability to manage and oversee a broad implementing network is a central theme.

29) How is this opportunity aligned with Haiti's national strategies?

It is explicitly aligned with Haiti's national HIV/AIDS strategy and, for non-HIV components, with MSPP's broader strategic plan.

30) What is the best overall way to understand the purpose of this FOA?

It is best understood as a continuation and expansion of a decade-long effort to shift Haiti's HIV response toward stronger national ownership, while using PEPFAR resources to reinforce the core public health functions that make HIV programs effective: governance, standards, surveillance, laboratory networks, referral systems, workforce capacity, monitoring and evaluation, and quality management.