[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 5, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41470-41471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16850]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 00133]


Notice of Availability of Funds; Prevention Program Development 
and Technical Assistance To Improve Blood Safety and Reduce the Impact 
of HIV/AIDS in Countries Targeted by the Leadership and Investment in 
Fighting the Epidemic (LIFE) Initiative

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2000 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Development and Technical 
Assistance Collaboration with Countries Targeted by the LIFE 
(Leadership and Investment in Fighting an Epidemic) Initiative.
    In July 1999, the Administration announced the LIFE Initiative to 
address the global AIDS pandemic. The LIFE initiative, an effort to 
expand and intensify the global response to the growing AIDS pandemic 
and its serious impact, is part of the United States (U.S.) 
Government's participation in the International Partnership Against 
HIV/AIDS in Africa (IPAA). A central feature of the LIFE Initiative is 
a $100 million increase in U.S. support for sub-Saharan African 
countries and India, which are working to prevent the further spread of 
HIV and to care for those affected by this devastating disease. This 
additional funding is a critical step by the U.S. Government in 
recognizing the impact that AIDS continues to have on individuals, 
families, communities, and nations and responding to the imperative to 
do more. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its 
agency the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is 
administering $35 million of the $100 million allocated to the LIFE 
Initiative by Congress.
    The purpose of the program is to support HIV/AIDS prevention 
program development and technical assistance for countries designated 
by the U.S. Congress under the LIFE Initiative. At present, those 
countries are Botswana, Cote D'Ivoire, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, 
Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, 
Senegal, Zambia and India. The countries targeted represent those with 
the most severe epidemic and the highest number of new infections. They 
also represent countries where the potential for impact is greatest and 
where U.S. government agencies are already active.
    The goals of the program are to address and support three program 
elements of the LIFE initiative: Primary Prevention, Capacity and 
Infrastructure Development, and Community and Home-Based Care and 
Treatment. The program described in this announcement calls for the 
delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention program development and technical 
assistance to the LIFE countries through a variety of recipient 
activities. The result will be an enhancement of the skills of 
officials from LIFE country national AIDS programs in strategic 
planning, implementation, evaluation, and communication relating to 
HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to the American Red Cross (ARC) 
for this project. No other applications are solicited.
    ARC is the appropriate and only qualified agency to provide the 
services specified under this cooperative agreement because:
    1. As a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red 
Crescent Societies (the Federation), ARC is the only officially 
recognized Red Cross society within the United States representing the 
worldwide network of Red Cross National Societies. As such, it supports 
and implements Red Cross programs throughout Africa and India, 
including programs in the LIFE countries with a special focus on 
designing, implementing, and evaluating HIV/AIDS prevention programs 
and policy. This places ARC in a unique position to partner with the 
Federation, Red Cross National Societies and LIFE country public health 
officials in prevention programs. In addition, the same set of 
knowledge, skills, and abilities ARC has developed in working with 
domestic Red Cross entities, African and Indian National Societies, and 
the Federation are of critical importance in improving the capacity of 
national AIDS control programs in African countries and India.
    2. Because of ARC's relationship to the Federation and Red Cross 
National Societies in LIFE countries, ARC can provide access to a 
broad, deep, and unique worldwide network. The Federation is an 
international humanitarian organization that exists to improve the 
situation of the world's most vulnerable people, including those 
impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Federation, founded in 1919, has a presence 
in more than 176 countries through its national Red Cross and Red 
Crescent societies. (The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross 
in many Islamic countries.) The unique strength of the Federation lies 
in its global network of Red Cross National Societies and its 
Federation Secretariat with delegations strategically located to 
support Red Cross and Red Crescent activities in various regions. Red 
Cross and Red Crescent National Societies act as auxiliaries to the 
public authorities of their own countries and provide a range of 
services including health and social programs focusing on community-
based outreach and service delivery through a network of volunteers.
    3. Unique in its experience and capacity, ARC is the United States' 
largest supplier of blood, plasma, and tissue products as well as an 
innovator in blood safety. ARC is uniquely qualified to provide 
technical assistance to blood safety programs in LIFE countries. ARC 
Blood Services supplies almost half of the nation's blood by working 
with more than 4.5 million donors and 3,000 hospitals through its 
national network of 38 blood regions. In the 50 years since the 
inception of its national civilian blood services program, ARC has made 
several important contributions in the health care field, made major 
improvements to blood safety, and developed new blood products and 
technologies, helping to satisfy the changing health care needs in the 
U.S.
    4. The American Red Cross has been the lead supporter technically 
and financially of the Federation-led African Red Cross/Red Crescent 
Health Initiative (ARCHI) 2010. ARCHI is a strategy to increase the 
impact of Red Cross National Society health programs Africa-wide. The 
overall goal of ARCHI is to measurably improve health in Africa. Over 
the next decade, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
Federation, 53 African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and their 
related in-country Ministries of Health (MOH), United Nations 
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and 
multiple others have committed to building and enhancing Red Cross-
delivered health programs throughout Africa. The ARCHI Initiative is 
the most comprehensive and inclusive process ever undertaken by the 
Federation to serve vulnerable populations throughout Africa.
    5. Through participation in ARCHI, ARC has developed strong 
collaborative relationships with numerous domestic and international 
organizations. Internationally, ARC and the Federation have spearheaded 
ARCHI, which

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involves numerous collaborations with agencies such as MOHs, WHO, 
UNICEF, and the World Bank. Domestically, as the largest supplier of 
blood in the U.S., ARC is uniquely positioned to collaborate with 
Federal agencies and AIDS control program officials in blood safety.
    6. ARC has access to a wealth of HIV/AIDS resources that may be 
adapted, both from its domestic programs and its international 
initiatives, such as the ARCHI tool kits and the Federation's Action 
with Youth, HIV/AIDS STDs: A Training Manual for Young People. 
Additionally, ARC and the Federation have expertise in establishing 
regional networking mechanisms for dissemination of information and 
lessons learned. For example, the ``Caribbean Youth HIV/AIDS Network'' 
(CARAN) and the ``Asian Red Cross / Red Crescent Task Force on HIV/
AIDS'' (ART) are models that are being replicated in West Africa.
    7. ARC has already developed a range of technical services 
domestically, including instructor training courses, communication and 
cooperation in sharing Red Cross HIV/AIDS information and resources on 
a statewide basis in the U.S., support of home care for people living 
with HIV/AIDS, and prevention among youth through peer-to-peer 
education programs. Through the Federation, ARC is uniquely positioned 
to disseminate this information to national AIDS control program 
officials in LIFE countries.

    Note: Public Law 104-65 states that an organization described in 
section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages 
in lobbying activities is not eligible to receive Federal funds 
constituting an award, grant, cooperative agreement, contract, loan 
or any other form.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $3 million is available in FY 2000 to support this 
award. It is expected that the award will begin on or about September 
1, 2000, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to 3 years. Funding estimates may change. Continuation 
awards within an approved project period will be made on the basis of 
satisfactory progress as evidenced by required reports and the 
availability of funds.

Use of Funds

    Funds received from this announcement will not be used for the 
purchase of antiretroviral drugs for treatment of established HIV 
infection, occupational exposures, and non-occupational exposures and 
will not be used for the purchase of machines and reagents to conduct 
the necessary laboratory monitoring for patient care.
    Applicants may contract with other organizations under these 
cooperative agreements, however, applicants must perform a substantial 
portion of the activities (including program management and operations 
and delivery of prevention services for which funds are requested).

D. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements can be found on the CDC home page 
Internet address--http://www.cdc.gov. Scroll down the page, then click 
on ``Funding'' then ``Grants and Cooperative Agreements.''
    To receive additional written information and to request an 
application kit, call 1-888-GRANTS4 (1-888-472-6874). You will be asked 
to leave your name and address and will be instructed to identify the 
Announcement number of interest.
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from: Yolanda I. Gonzalez-Alvarez, Grants Management Specialist, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurement and 
Grants Office, Room 3000, Mailstop E-15, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, 
GA 30341-4146, Telephone: (770) 488-2781, E-mail: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Leo Weakland, Deputy 
Coordinator, Global AIDS Activity (GAA), National Center for HIV, STD, 
and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-07, Atlanta, GA30333, Telephone number 
(404) 639-8016, Email address: [email protected].

    Dated: June 28, 2000.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-16850 Filed 7-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P