[Federal Register: August 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 160)]
[Notices]
[Page 48770]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19au05-65]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Request for Application (RFA) AA212]
Building and Strengthening the Development of the Republic of
Haiti's Central HIV/AIDS Quality-Assurance/Quality-Control (QA/QC)
Laboratory and the Associated National Network of QA/QC Laboratories in
Haiti, as Part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief;
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) 2005 funds for a cooperative agreement
program to fund the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (The
Emergency Plan). The plan has called for immediate action to turn the
tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. The initiative hopes to
prevent at least seven million new HIV infections, place two million
people on treatment, and provide care for ten million people, including
orphans and vulnerable children. An essential element of preventing new
cases of HIV infection is to ensure that high-risk groups have adequate
access to screening, treatment, and care facilities.
Haiti's HIV prevalence rate in adults is estimated to be between
3.1 and 5.6 percent according to the Haitian Ministry of Health-
Minist[egrave]re de la Sant[eacute] Publique et de la Population (MSPP)
and the 2004 Annual Report from the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), respectively. Access to prevention and treatment
is limited to the Haitian population due to the underdeveloped public
health infrastructure and lack of clinical capacity. In order to
improve this capacity, this Cooperative Agreement has been developed to
provide much needed funding and resources.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program
is 93.067.
B. Eligible Applicant
This is a single eligibility request for application (RFA) from
MSPP. No other applicants are solicited.
The MSPP is the government. They have the authority and
responsibility for both regulation and QA/QC of all Laboratories within
the country. They are responsible for establishing norms and standards
for laboratories.
The MSPP, as the government, is the only entity that has the
authority to establish and operate the entire public health system
which includes departmental hospitals and clinics where ARV services
are being provided. The Ministry has developed public/private
partnerships to help manage some of these sites but even at those sites
that are managed by the private sector they are ultimately accountable
to the MSPP for services provided and quality care. The MSPP still
maintains a supervisor role for these sites.
The role of regulation and standard setting at a national level is
inherently governmental. In order to fulfill its role in this area the
Haitian Ministry of Health needs to have the capacity to independently
verify compliance through a central HIV/AIDS quality assurance/quality
control laboratory. If a private or non-governmental laboratory were
allowed to take on this role it would call into question the
independence of the results in order to favor laboratories associated
with that organization.
C. Funding
Approximately $2,765,000 is available over a five year project
period. $553,000 is available for a 12-month budget period in FY 2005,
to be awarded September 15, 2005. 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 program technical assistance, contact: Kathy Grooms, CDC Global
AIDS Program, 1600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop E-04, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Telephone: 404-639-8394. E-mail: Kgrooms@cdc.gov.
For financial, grants management, or budget assistance, contact:
Vivian Walker, Grants Management Specialist, CDC Procurement and Grants
Office, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341. Telephone: 770-488-
2724. E-mail: VEW4@CDC.GOV.
Dated: August 12, 2005.
William P. Nichols,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-16450 Filed 8-18-05; 8:45 am]
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