[Federal Register: April 27, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 81)]
[Notices]               
[Page 22810-22811]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27ap04-68]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 04129]

 
Improving the Effectiveness of the Diagnosis and Treatment of 
Tuberculosis and Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in the Philippines; 
Notice of Intent to Fund Single Eligibility Award

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
intent to fund fiscal year (FY) 2004 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program to support and ensure the implementation of tuberculosis (TB) 
control activities that are designed to develop, establish, and 
coordinate systems and procedures to address the obstacles to achieving 
control of TB and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program is 
93.116.

B. Eligible Applicant

    Assistance will be provided only to Makati Medical Center (MMC) 
located in Manila, the Philippines.
    The MMC is the only qualified organization that has the technical 
and administrative capacity to conduct the specific set of activities 
requested to support CDC TB and MDR-TB prevention and control 
activities in the Philippines under this cooperative agreement because:
    1. The MMC is uniquely positioned, in terms of legal authority, 
ability, track record, infrastructure and credibility in the 
Philippines to develop and support TB and MDR-TB control activities in 
both public and non-governmental organization sites throughout the 
country.
    2. The MMC has already established a framework and mechanisms to 
develop and implement TB and MDR-TB treatment and control activities in 
the Philippines, enabling it to immediately become engaged in the 
activities listed in this announcement.
    3. The MMC has demonstrated its ability to coordinate and implement 
TB treatment and control activities

[[Page 22811]]

including MDR-TB and TB/HIV co-infection within the country.
    4. The MMC has a unique and unparalleled relationship with the 
Department of Health (DOH), NTP, the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF), 
and the PhilCAT, based on a rich history of collaboration.
    5. The MMC Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) Clinic 
has been in existence since February 1999, in response to the need for 
public-private partnership in the management of TB patients in the 
Philippines. The clinic is a collaboration of the MMC and TDF 
representing the private sector, and the DOH and Barangay San Lorenzo 
(BSL) representing the public sector.
    6. The MMC was approved as the first pilot project worldwide to 
undertake DOTS-Plus by the Green Light Committee (GLC), a subgroup of 
the Scientific Working Group on Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis of 
the WHO. The MMC DOTS-Plus clinic is the only facility in the 
Philippines providing treatment to MDR-TB patients.
    7. The MMC has the ability to collect information, train staff and 
advocate for policy based on the experiences learned implementing DOTS-
Plus activities.
    8. The specific services that the MMC will deliver are directly 
associated with, and compliment, other ongoing CDC prevention 
strategies and activities in the Philippines.

C. Funding

    Approximately $100,000 is available in FY 2004 to fund this award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or before June 1, 2004, and 
will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project period of up 
to five years. Funding estimates may change.

D. Where to Obtain Additional Information

    For general comments or questions about this announcement, contact: 
Technical Information Management, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 
2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, Telephone: 770-488-2700.
    For technical questions about this program, contact: Michael 
Qualls, Project Officer, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National 
Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), 1600 Clifton Road Mailstop E-10, Atlanta, Georgia 
30333, Telephone: 404-639-8488, E-mail: MQualls@cdc.gov.
    For budget assistance, contact: Steward Nichols, Grants Management 
Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30341, Telephone: 770-488-2788, E-mail: 
SNichols1@cdc.gov.


    Dated: April 20, 2004.
William P. Nichols,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-9493 Filed 4-26-04; 8:45 am]

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