[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 47325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20232]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 03063]


Enhancement of HIV/AIDS Surveillance Activities and HIV Reference 
Laboratory Program in Malawi; 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) 2003 funds for a cooperative agreement 
program for the enhancement of HIV/AIDS surveillance activities and an 
HIV reference laboratory program in Malawi. The Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance number for this program is 93.978.

B. Eligible Applicant

    Assistance will be provided only to Malawi Ministry of Health and 
Population (MOHP) in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The Ministry of 
Health and Population (MOHP) is a unique agency in the sovereign 
country of Malawi, charged with implementing health care and public 
health measures nationwide. There is no other agency in Malawi charged 
with planning and actually implementing health care and public health 
activities in the public sector. The MOHP of the Government of Malawi 
is the only agency in the country that conducts HIV surveillance.
    Over the past 18 months, the National AIDS Commission (NAC), 
another branch of the Malawi Government, was temporarily given 
responsibility for surveillance at the national level. In 2003, this 
responsibility is moving back to the MOHP from the NAC. CDC has been 
providing financial and technical support to the NAC for surveillance 
and is now arranging through this Cooperative Agreement to provide a 
smooth transition of surveillance activities back to the MOHP. 
Currently, a transitional team from NAC and the surveillance unit at 
the MOHP have responsibility for surveillance. In 2003, this 
responsibility will move back to the MOHP from NAC.
    CDC-GAP is relatively new in Malawi and has no other formal funding 
agreements with the MOHP. CDC GAP CDC looks forward to sharing its 
expertise in all areas of surveillance with the MOHP, the only national 
agency in the government of Malawi that has responsibility and 
authority to implement HIV/AIDS programs in the health sector.
    The MOHP is located in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The CHSU of 
the MOHP is located in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. CHSU is a well-
established entity in the MOHP and has responsibility for preventive 
services, including surveillance, and for the national lab. The 
national lab has been without adequate resources and needs CDC's 
technical and financial support in order to fully perform its function 
as a national reference lab. This is critically important at this 
particular juncture as Malawi expects to get a large Global Fund award 
and will need the national reference lab functions in order to provide 
quality HIV services to the population using these funds.

C. Funding

    Approximately $750,000 is available in FY 2003 to fund this award. 
It is expected that the award will begin on or before September 15, 
2003, and will be made for a 12-month budget period within a project 
period of up to three years. Funding estimate 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: Margarett 
Davis, MD, MPH, Kang'ombe Building 8 West, Lilongwe, Malawi, Telephone 
Number: 265-1-775-188, Fax Number: 265-1-775-848, E-mail address: 
[email protected], C/o U.S. Embassy, P.O. Box 30016. Lilongwe 3, 
Malawi.

    Dated: August 4, 2003.
Edward Schultz,
Acting Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-20232 Filed 8-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P