[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 202 (Friday, October 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64377-64378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26528]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 02200]


Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Caribbean Region; Pan 
American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Regional 
Epidemiology Center (CAREC), Port of Spain, Trinidad; Notice of the 
Award of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National 
Center for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Disease/
Tuberculosis (HIV/STD/TB) Prevention (NCHSTP), announces the 
availability Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 funds for a Cooperative Agreement to 
the Caribbean Regional Epidemiology Center (CAREC) through Pan American 
Health Organization (PAHO). The purpose of this program is to help 
support implementation of CDC Global AIDS Program (GAP), a United 
States government program that seeks to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS 
in specific countries within sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean Region, 
Asia and the Americas. CDC, through GAP, focuses on strengthening the 
capacity of national AIDS control programs in the areas of (1) HIV 
primary prevention, (2) HIV care, support, and treatment, and (3) 
capacity and infrastructure development, especially for surveillance. 
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. An updated list of partner countries for 
the CDC-GAP Initiative is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/default.htm
    Measurable outcomes of the program will be in alignment with one or 
more of the following performance goals for the National Center for 
HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Global AIDS Program: Working with other 
countries, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 
international and U.S. government agencies, reduce the number of new 
HIV infections among 15 to 24 year olds in sub-Saharan Africa, the 
Caribbean Region, Asia and the Americas from an estimated two million 
by 2005.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Assistance will be provided only to CAREC through the PAHO, in 
support of LIFE Initiative activities in the Caribbean Region. No other 
applications will be solicited. CAREC is the most appropriate and 
qualified agency to conduct a specific set of activities supportive of 
CDC's LIFE Initiative-related assistance to countries in the Caribbean 
Region because:
    1. CAREC is the lead agency in the Caribbean Region to provide 
support to this region of the world, second only to Africa, most 
affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is both chartered and uniquely 
positioned to assist national AIDS control programs in 21 member 
countries and its other partners to strengthen national health sector 
responses to HIV/AIDS.
    2. World Health Organization (WHO), through its regional office, 
PAHO, is a leading partner within the International Partnership Against 
HIV/AIDS (IPAA), an international umbrella effort to increase support 
and visibility for a multi-lateral emergency response to the AIDS 
epidemic in the Caribbean Region. CAREC is supported by PAHO/WHO. 
Assistance will be provided to (CAREC) through the PAHO, in support of 
LIFE Initiative activities in the Caribbean Region. The LIFE Initiative 
is a key supporter of the IPAA.
    3. CAREC has the capacity to provide a regional response to the 
specific laboratory needs for the provision of care and treatment of 
HIV/AIDS, information sharing and regional-level aggregation and 
interpretation of health data related to surveillance, prevention and 
care for HIV/AIDS within the region. In this sense, CAREC is unique in 
that it is the lead agency providing health sector policy-setting and

[[Page 64378]]

technical assistance to 21 member countries and non-member countries on 
request. CAREC is supported by PAHO/WHO which maintains a network of 
country offices and PAHO Coordinating Centres to serve as critical 
links for ensuring country access to available technical resources, 
information and coordination. CAREC's capacity compliments CDC's focus 
of action and requested support from CAREC which is to build and 
enhance existing capacity and infrastructure to support the region in 
support of the Regional Strategic Plan endorsed by 21 member countries. 
This includes strengthening of laboratory quality and standardization 
within CAREC and throughout the region.
    PAHO is the only international/intergovernmental agency qualified 
to conduct the activities under this cooperative agreement because:
    Headquartered in Washington, DC, PAHO serves as the specialized 
organization for health of the Inter-American System and as the 
Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Association (WHO). 
As such, PAHO has a unique position among the world's health agencies 
as the technical agency for health within the Americas. PAHO has access 
to all national health promotion and disease prevention programs and 
potential research sites in the Americas through its 36 member 
governments and its scientific and technical expert employees stationed 
in Washington, DC, 27 country offices, and nine scientific centers. 
PAHO has more than 90 years of experience in working to improve health 
and living standards of the countries of the Americas. PAHO's basic 
responsibility is to collaborate with Ministries of Health, social 
security agencies, other government institutions, nongovernmental 
organization, universities, community groups, and others to strengthen 
national and local health systems and to improve the health of the 
peoples of the Americas. PAHO offers special opportunities for 
furthering research programs in the Americas through the use of unusual 
talent resources, populations, or environmental conditions in other 
countries that are not readily available in the United States or that 
provide augmentation of existing U.S. resources. PAHO is uniquely 
qualified to conduct activities in the Americas that have specific 
relevance to the mission and objectives of CDC and which have the 
potential to advance knowledge that benefits the United States.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $250,000 dollars are available in FY 2002 to fund 
this award. It is anticipated that the award will begin month budget 
period within a project period of up to five years. Annual funding 
estimates may vary and are subject to change. Continuation award within 
the project period will be made on the basis of satisfactory progress 
and availability of funds.
    All requests for funds, including the budget contained in the 
application, shall be stated in U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, 
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will not compensate 
foreign grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the 
issuance of supplemental awards.

1. Use of Funds

General Use
    Funds may be used for:
    (a) Establishing strategies, policies and guidelines for health 
sector responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean Region in 
areas such as surveillance, laboratory, clinical management, and 
prevention.
    (b) Conducting meetings and other relevant activities that 
contribute to the development, dissemination and evaluation of 
strategies, policies and guidelines.
    (c) Aggregating and disseminating information, strategies, 
policies, guidelines and training materials pertinent to HIV/AIDS and 
HIV-related conditions, including internet-based and other tools for 
efficient cataloguing and disseminating such information, and support 
for increasing national capacities to retrieve such information from 
such systems.
    (d) Building capacity of CAREC to provide technical assistance and 
services to member countries and within Ministries of Health (MOH), 
National AIDS Councils, and similar key national institutions.
    (e) Supporting key networks and partnerships within the region to 
lead evidence-based, improved health sector practices relevant to HIV/
AIDS in the CAREC community (such as regional training network within 
the Caribbean Region to provide training in HIV clinical management on 
a national or sub-regional basis).
General Non-Use
    (a) Funds received from this announcement will not be used for 
capital expenditures such as the purchase of off-road and multi-
passenger vehicles and large volume (greater than fifty) purchase of 
computers.
    (b) The purchase of antiretrovirals, reagents, and laboratory 
equipment for antiretroviral treatment projects requires pre-approval 
from GAP headquarters.
    (c) No funds appropriated under this Act shall be used to carry out 
any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the 
hypodermic injection of any illegal drug.
    (d) Applicant may contract with other organizations under these 
cooperative agreements, however, the applicant must perform a 
substantial portion of the activities (including program management and 
operations and delivery of prevention services for which funds are 
requested).
    (e) The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic 
organizations are likewise allowable to foreign institutions and 
international organizations, with the following exception: Indirect 
Costs: With the exception of the American University, Beirut, the 
Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health Organization, indirect 
costs will not be paid (either directly or through a sub-award) to 
organizations located outside the territorial limits of the U.S. or to 
international organizations regardless of their location. Matching 
funds is not a requirement for this program announcement.

D. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    CDC announcement information 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.''
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from: Cynthia R. Collins, Grants Management Specialist, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurement and Grants Office, 
Room 3000, 2920 Brandywine Road, Mailstop E-15, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146. 
Telephone: (770) 488-2757. E-mail: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Ethleen Lloyd, Global 
AIDS Program (GAP), Caribbean Region, National Center for HIV, STD, and 
TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
Telephone: (404) 639-8016. E-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: october 9, 2002.
Edward J. Schultz,
Deputy Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 02-26528 Filed 10-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P