Strengthening the Healthcare System of Vietnam through Capacity Building, Policy Development and Quality Improvement of Laboratory and Clinical Services under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is this grant opportunity about?

This CDC grant opportunity under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) focuses on strengthening Vietnam's healthcare system by improving the quality and consistency of hospital-based clinical and laboratory services. The goal is to help ensure people living with HIV receive high-quality care while also building Vietnam's long-term capacity to manage the national HIV/AIDS response and other infectious diseases and public health conditions through stronger systems, standards, and reliable quality improvement practices.

2) What is the overall purpose of the funding?

The overall purpose is to improve hospital-based quality and consistency of HIV-related clinical and laboratory services while strengthening system-wide quality management approaches. The opportunity is designed to support sustainable improvements that are embedded in routine hospital management, rather than maintained as a separate, standalone HIV program.

3) What is meant by integrating HIV quality improvement into mainstream hospital management?

A central theme is that HIV-related quality improvement should be incorporated into hospital-wide quality improvement programs. Practically, this means HIV quality improvement indicators and activities are aligned with the same hospital performance measurement, gap identification, and corrective action processes used across other clinical departments. The intent is to improve continuity, accountability, and sustainability of HIV service quality improvements over time.

4) What are the key objectives described in the announcement?

Key objectives highlighted include: (a) incorporating HIV quality improvement indicators and activities into hospital-wide quality improvement programs; (b) strengthening laboratory and clinical quality management and improvement systems within hospital settings where HIV services are delivered; and (c) prioritizing development of guidelines and technical standards for hepatitis diagnosis, care, and treatment as a major co-morbidity among people living with HIV.

5) Why does the opportunity emphasize hospital-based clinical and laboratory services?

The announcement focuses on hospitals because they are critical sites for delivering HIV services, and because clinical and laboratory quality management systems in these settings directly affect whether care and testing are accurate, timely, standardized, and safe. Weaknesses in laboratory quality management can undermine HIV diagnosis and treatment monitoring, which can negatively impact patient outcomes.

6) How does the grant address laboratory quality and clinical quality management?

The opportunity emphasizes strengthening laboratory and clinical quality management and improvement systems within the curative care system, especially in hospital settings. It highlights improving the systems that ensure testing and care are accurate, timely, standardized, and safe, using quality management systems and continuous improvement approaches that can be applied broadly across hospitals.

7) Does the program only apply to HIV services?

While HIV is a central focus, the announcement frames the work as broader system strengthening. The quality management and continuous improvement approaches promoted are described as applicable across hospitals and supportive of readiness for other infectious diseases and priority public health conditions, not only HIV.

8) What role does hepatitis play in this funding announcement?

The announcement prioritizes development of guidelines and technical standards for hepatitis diagnosis, care, and treatment. Hepatitis is recognized as a major co-morbidity among people living with HIV, and co-infection can complicate clinical management and worsen outcomes. Strengthening national guidance and standardizing clinical practice for hepatitis is positioned as a key deliverable.

9) What kinds of deliverables are suggested by the focus on guidelines and technical standards?

The emphasis suggests development or strengthening of nationally consistent protocols that clinicians and facilities can implement, along with institutional mechanisms to update, disseminate, and monitor adherence to those standards over time. The announcement specifically highlights guideline and standards development for hepatitis as part of the broader quality and system-strengthening aims.

10) What type of award is this?

The opportunity was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement. This means CDC would expect substantial involvement in the program beyond simply issuing funds, consistent with the cooperative agreement model described in the announcement.

11) How many awards were expected?

The announcement lists one expected award.

12) What is the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling listed in the announcement is $500,000.

13) What is the funding activity category?

The funding activity category is health.

14) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 93.067 (Global AIDS).

15) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was included in the announcement.

16) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was tailored to the Vietnam Administration of Medical Services (VAMS), a department within Vietnam's Ministry of Health.

17) Why was VAMS identified as the eligible applicant?

The announcement highlights VAMS's formal mandate, reinforced by a Ministry of Health decision dated February 8, 2014, positioning VAMS as a central national body responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and overseeing medical examination and treatment nationwide. The FOA emphasizes VAMS responsibilities that align with the grant's focus, including policy and standards development, implementation guidance across facilities, inspection and oversight for accountability, and organizing training to build capacity in hospital quality management.

18) What responsibilities of VAMS are specifically emphasized?

The announcement emphasizes that VAMS leads or coordinates development and revision of legal documents, policies, strategies, national standards, and technical guidelines; directs and guides implementation across health facilities; inspects and oversees facilities to ensure service accountability; and organizes training to strengthen hospital quality management capacity.

19) What were the key dates for this funding opportunity?

The FOA was posted on September 30, 2014. The original and final closing date was December 6, 2014. The archive date was January 5, 2015.

20) Who should be contacted for access help or technical assistance related to the announcement?

For applicants or stakeholders needing access help, the CDC Procurement and Grants Office Technical Information Management Section is listed as the point of contact. The email is pgotim@cdc.gov and the phone number is 770-488-2700.