Enhancing the National Government's Coordination of the National HIV Program to Ensure Sustainability of Quality and Comprehensive HIV Services in Kenya under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA GH21 2118

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2118

This funding opportunity, CDC RFA GH21 2118, is a PEPFAR-supported cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health. It is designed to strengthen how the Government of Kenya coordinates and manages the national HIV program so that high-quality, comprehensive HIV services can be sustained over time. The central emphasis is on long-term sustainability through stronger country and county ownership, improved efficiency and accountability, and increased domestic financing for HIV. Because Kenya operates a devolved health system where counties play major roles in planning and delivering services, the opportunity focuses on building the systems and capacities needed for both national and county governments to lead effectively and maintain HIV epidemic control.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning CDC expects substantial involvement and collaboration with the recipient during implementation, rather than simply providing funds with minimal engagement. The notice anticipates a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1). For Year 1, CDC lists an approximate total funding amount of $1,500,000, contingent on the availability of funds. The posting also notes that the “Award Ceiling for Year 1 is 0 (none),” which typically signals that CDC is not setting a maximum limit in the usual way for that first budget period, even though it has stated an anticipated funding level. The opportunity falls under health-related assistance listings CFDA 93.067 and 93.318. The eligible applicant category is listed broadly as “Others,” with further clarification intended in the full eligibility section of the notice.

Programmatically, the opportunity is framed around the idea that sustaining epidemic control requires more than clinical service delivery; it depends on strong, well-coordinated health systems that can consistently find people with HIV, start and keep them on effective treatment, monitor quality and outcomes, and fund these services reliably. The NOFO highlights several technical and systems gaps that need strengthening in Kenya’s context: improved HIV and TB case identification; more effective HIV prevention efforts that prioritize key and priority populations; stronger linkage to care and retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART); laboratory quality management systems; institutionalized quality improvement (QI) approaches; better data systems for monitoring and assuring program quality; and stronger health financing mechanisms. It also stresses the need for management, leadership, and financing capacity at both national and county levels, alongside continued national leadership in policy development to guide counties.

To address these needs, the NOFO proposes an integrated package of health systems strengthening (HSS) activities organized around five core components. First is Leadership and Governance, which focuses on improving national and county coordination, oversight, and the ability to set direction, align stakeholders, and ensure accountability for results. Second is Human Resources for Health, aimed at strengthening the workforce systems that underpin HIV prevention, care, and treatment services, including planning, training, management, and broader capacity building needed to support service quality and continuity. Third is Strategic Information, which covers strengthening data systems and the use of data for decision-making, monitoring performance, and ensuring that programs can identify gaps and respond quickly. Fourth is Laboratory Systems, specifically through support to Kenya’s National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), with an emphasis on lab quality management and the laboratory backbone required for reliable diagnosis, monitoring, and overall program quality. Fifth is Health Financing, which targets improvements in financial planning and management and encourages greater domestic resource mobilization and more sustainable financing structures for HIV services.

In addition to the system-level components, the opportunity explicitly includes capacity building for HIV prevention, care, and treatment services. This reflects a practical approach: even strong governance and financing reforms need to translate into improved implementation on the ground, including prevention interventions for populations at higher risk, effective testing and case-finding strategies, rapid linkage to treatment, sustained retention on ART, and ongoing quality improvement. Overall, the NOFO’s intent is to help the Government of Kenya strengthen its ability to lead and coordinate HIV programming across a devolved system, reduce reliance on external support over time, and maintain high-quality, comprehensive HIV services through stronger institutions, better data and laboratory systems, and more sustainable financing.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing the National Government's Coordination of the National HIV Program to Ensure Sustainability of Quality and Comprehensive HIV Services in Kenya under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067, 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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