[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43052-43053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-17453]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


Justification for a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award for 
the U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science

AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of 
the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) intends to 
provide a Single Source Cooperative Agreement Award to the U.S.-Mexico 
Foundation for Science (Fundaci[oacute]n M[eacute]xico-Estados Unidos 
para la Ciencia [FUMEC]), who will be the awardee for project 
activities carried out by Mexico's Ministry of Health (MOH). This 
Cooperative Agreement will contribute to enhancing global health 
security and advancing the implementation and maintenance of 
International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) core capacities in 
Mexico. Specifically, ASPR, in close coordination with the HHS Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other U.S. Government 
(USG) stakeholders, will collaborate with FUMEC and the Mexican MOH to 
sustain and strengthen preparedness, detection, and communication 
capacities for pandemic influenza and other emerging and re-emerging 
infectious diseases in Mexico, focusing on IHR National Focal Point and 
Points of Entry capacities. Recognizing that the health security of the 
American people is intrinsically linked to the world's health security 
and that international cooperation is critical to enhance global health 
security, this program is aligned with Article 44 of the IHR (2005), 
which directs state parties to collaborate to detect, assess, and 
respond to events, while developing, strengthening, and maintaining 
core public health surveillance and response capacities. Additionally, 
this program intends to support the collaboration with the Mexican MOH 
under the North American Plan for Animal and Pandemic Influenza 
(NAPAPI).
    Period Of Performance: September 30, 2014 to September 29, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please submit an inquiry via the ASPR 
Division of International Health Security--IHR Program Contact Form 
located at http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/international/ihr/Pages/IHRInquiry.aspx.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Sections 301, 307, 1701, and 
2811 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 241, 242l, 300u and 
300hh-10. The Division of International Health Security in the Office 
of Policy and Planning is the program office for this award.
    Justification: Significant food trade links and interactions with 
Mexico under the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA), and the shared 
and highly trafficked U.S.-Mexico border, speak to the need for close 
bilateral cooperation in health security for both nations. Both 
countries have had a long and close relationship in supporting and 
improving our ability to respond to public health events and 
emergencies of mutual interest when they arise. Such cooperation, 
including strengthening of binational capacities to advance IHR (2005) 
implementation, is critical to protect the health of our populations 
and to enhance regional health security.
    Recognizing the importance of the IHR (2005) mandate for state 
parties to collaborate with each other, particularly those sharing 
borders, ASPR has had a strong collaboration with the Mexican MOH to 
jointly strengthen health security through a series of cooperative 
agreements and regional and multilateral initiatives. ASPR, in close 
collaboration with the CDC, the Office of Global Affairs, and the 
National Institutes of Health, supported since 2006 the Mexican federal 
and state health agencies to build and enhance public health 
preparation and response capabilities to pandemic influenza and 
bioterrorism threats. Major accomplishments from that collaboration 
included: Completion of a biosafety level 3 laboratory at the national 
Institute of Diagnostic and Epidemiological Reference (Instituto de 
Diagn[oacute]stico y Referencia Epidemiol[oacute]gicos [InDRE]); 
inclusion of InDRE as the first international member of the CDC's 
Laboratory Response Network; enhancement of the infrastructure and 
functioning of the Unit for Epidemiological Intelligence; the 
development of an early warning disease surveillance system 
(AlertaMex); and training for public health personnel on detection, 
surveillance, and public health preparedness and response strategies 
and processes, among others. Additionally, in recognition of the 
importance of regional collaborations to advance health security, 
Mexico and the United States are part of the Global Health Security 
Initiative, and in collaboration with Canada, in 2012 the leaders of 
the three countries launched the NAPAPI to advance pandemic influenza 
preparedness and response capacities. Additionally, in 2012, the 
Secretaries of Health of both countries signed a declaration formally 
adopting a shared set of technical guidelines that both countries will 
follow to respond to public health events and emergencies of mutual 
interest.
    Stemming from this successful collaboration and shared motivation, 
ASPR intends to collaborate with FUMEC and Mexico's National Center for 
Prevention Programs and Disease Control (Centro Nacional de Programas 
Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades [CENAPRECE]) on a program to 
enhance regional and global health security by strengthening IHR (2005) 
implementation and maintenance. Primary program activities will include 
improving and strengthening IHR (2005) core capacities including 
detection, assessment, notification, and response, with focus on 
pandemic influenza and other emerging and re-emerging infectious 
diseases. FUMEC, created in 1993 in the context of the NAFTA agreement, 
will serve as the awardee for this program and CENAPRECE will implement 
the technical activities within the program. FUMEC is a nonprofit 
organization and the only binational organization sanctioned by both 
governments to facilitate funds movement and implement binational

[[Page 43053]]

scientific, public health, and technology programs. With a mission to 
promote binational collaboration in science and technology to solve 
problems of common interest to the United States and Mexico, FUMEC is 
well experienced to serve in this role, as it has been the awardee of 
the U.S.-Mexico's Early Warning Infectious Disease program and of other 
binational programs between CDC and the Mexican MOH. In addition, ASPR 
and CENAPRECE will collaborate with other stakeholders including the 
Mexican MOH Directorate General of Epidemiology in Mexico, CDC, and the 
Pan American Health Organization.
    Supporting global health security, IHR (2005) implementation, and 
pandemic influenza preparedness is a national priority as it is crucial 
for protecting the health of all Americans. After careful and thorough 
consideration of other potential partners for this program, FUMEC's and 
CENAPRECE's proven abilities to effectively achieve program goals, and 
their alignment with ASPR's mission and priorities, make these 
organizations the only appropriate partners for the proposed program. 
In keeping with its mission to enhance and protect the American 
population's health, ASPR, through a cooperative agreement with FUMEC, 
will continue its partnership with the Mexican MOH by implementing this 
proposed program to strengthen pandemic influenza preparedness and 
advance IHR (2005) implementation and maintenance in neighboring 
Mexico.
    Procedures for Providing Public Input: All written comments must be 
received prior to September 30, 2014. Please submit comments via the 
ASPR Division of International Health Security--IHR Programs Contact 
Form located at http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/international/ihr/Pages/IHRInquiry.aspx.

    Dated: July 18, 2014.
Nicole Lurie,
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.
[FR Doc. 2014-17453 Filed 7-23-14; 8:45 am]
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