[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 160 (Friday, August 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 48770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16450]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: [email protected].
    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: [email protected].

    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]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P