RFAs: Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships (US)

The Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships funding opportunity supports projects that strengthen Ethiopia’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. With an estimated US$25 million in total funding, the initiative focuses on laboratory systems, workforce development, surveillance, emergency response, antimicrobial resistance, immunization, and health information systems through partnerships with national institutions.

Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships

Funding Summary

Funding Opportunity: Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships
Country: Ethiopia
Sector: Health
Estimated Total Program Funding: US$25,000,000
Funding Category: Global Health Security
Primary Focus: Strengthening Ethiopia’s public health systems and disease preparedness

About the Program

The Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships initiative aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to priority diseases by supporting collaboration between national public health institutions and implementing partners.

The program builds upon years of collaboration between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and other Government of Ethiopia agencies. It supports continued implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) by strengthening essential public health systems and institutional capacity.

Program Objectives

The program seeks to:

Strengthen Ethiopia’s public health systems.
Improve prevention, detection, and response to infectious disease threats.
Build sustainable laboratory capacity.
Strengthen disease surveillance systems.
Enhance emergency preparedness and response.
Expand public health workforce development.
Improve antimicrobial resistance surveillance and response.
Strengthen immunization systems.
Improve health information management.
Support implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).

Priority Areas

Projects should address one or more of the following priority areas:

Laboratory Systems

Support laboratory infrastructure, diagnostics, quality management systems, laboratory networking, and testing capacity.

Workforce Development

Strengthen the public health workforce through training, leadership development, epidemiology programs, and technical capacity building.

Disease Surveillance

Improve surveillance systems for early disease detection, reporting, monitoring, and outbreak investigation.

Emergency Response and Management

Enhance emergency preparedness, incident management systems, emergency operations centers, and rapid response capacity.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Strengthen surveillance, monitoring, prevention, and response activities addressing antimicrobial resistance.

Immunization

Support immunization systems that improve disease prevention and strengthen overall public health resilience.

Health Information System Strengthening

Improve health information systems to support timely reporting, evidence-based decision-making, and coordinated public health responses.

Background

The CDC established its office in Ethiopia in 2001 and has worked closely with the Ministry of Health, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, and other government agencies to strengthen national public health capacity.

Since 2014, CDC has partnered with the Government of Ethiopia to implement the Global Health Security Agenda, helping the country achieve targets under the International Health Regulations (IHR). A multisectoral roadmap developed in 2015 has guided coordinated efforts to improve preparedness, surveillance, laboratory systems, and outbreak response.

These collaborations have contributed to:

Expansion of Field Epidemiology Training Programs.
Activation of a national Public Health Emergency Operations Center.
Improved disease surveillance systems.
Stronger laboratory diagnostic capacity.
Enhanced outbreak preparedness and response.
Improved coordination among national public health institutions.

The new funding opportunity builds upon CDC-supported activities implemented between 2020 and 2025 under the Global Health Security Framework.

Funding Information

Estimated Total Program Funding: US$25,000,000
Funding Category: Health

Applicants should consult the official funding announcement for detailed budget guidance, award amounts, and project requirements.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include:

State governments.
County governments.
City or township governments.
Special district governments.
Independent school districts.
Public and private institutions of higher education.
Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status.
Nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status.
Small businesses.
For-profit organizations other than small businesses.
Public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities.
Federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
Native American tribal organizations.
Other eligible entities identified in the funding opportunity.

Expected Outcomes

Successful projects are expected to:

Strengthen national disease surveillance.
Improve laboratory diagnostic capabilities.
Increase emergency preparedness and response capacity.
Expand the skilled public health workforce.
Improve antimicrobial resistance monitoring.
Strengthen immunization systems.
Enhance health information management.
Improve coordination among national and local health institutions.
Support sustainable implementation of global health security priorities.

Why This Program Matters

Emerging infectious diseases continue to pose significant global risks. Building strong national public health systems enables countries to detect outbreaks earlier, respond more rapidly, and reduce the impact of health emergencies.

By strengthening laboratories, surveillance, emergency response, workforce development, and health information systems, this initiative supports Ethiopia’s long-term public health resilience while contributing to regional and global health security.

How to Apply

Eligible organizations should:

Review the complete funding opportunity announcement.
Confirm organizational eligibility.
Develop a project aligned with one or more priority areas.
Prepare a detailed technical proposal.
Develop a realistic project budget.
Include monitoring and evaluation plans.
Submit the application according to the official funding instructions before the deadline.

Tips for Applicants

Align activities with Ethiopia’s Global Health Security priorities.
Demonstrate institutional capacity and technical expertise.
Include measurable outcomes and performance indicators.
Build partnerships with national and local stakeholders.
Present a sustainable implementation strategy.
Include strong monitoring and evaluation components.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Submitting projects outside the program priorities.
Weak collaboration with government institutions.
Incomplete implementation plans.
Insufficient monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
Unrealistic budgets.
Failure to demonstrate organizational capacity.
Limited sustainability planning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the purpose of this funding opportunity?

The program supports projects that strengthen Ethiopia’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats through stronger public health systems and partnerships.

How much funding is available?

The estimated total funding available is US$25 million.

Which sectors are prioritized?

Priority areas include laboratory systems, workforce development, surveillance, emergency response, antimicrobial resistance, immunization, and health information systems.

Which organizations can apply?

Eligible applicants include government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, private organizations, small businesses, and other eligible entities identified in the funding announcement.

How does this program support Ethiopia?

The initiative strengthens national public health institutions, improves outbreak preparedness, enhances surveillance and laboratory systems, and supports implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda.

What previous work does this program build upon?

The funding builds on CDC partnerships established since 2001 and activities implemented under the Global Health Security Agenda, including projects delivered between 2020 and 2025.

Why is the Global Health Security Agenda important?

The Global Health Security Agenda helps countries strengthen their ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats while supporting compliance with the International Health Regulations and improving global public health preparedness.

Conclusion

The Expanding Global Health Security Through Local Partnerships initiative represents a major investment in strengthening Ethiopia’s public health systems and institutional capacity. By supporting laboratory systems, surveillance, workforce development, emergency response, antimicrobial resistance, immunization, and health information systems, the program aims to build a resilient health system capable of preventing, detecting, and responding effectively to current and future public health threats while advancing Ethiopia’s long-term global health security goals.