Deadline: 24-Jan-2025
The United States Agency for International Development in Nigeria (USAID/Nigeria) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for potential local organizations to improve Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats.
The United States Government, as represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Nigeria seeks applicants to provide concepts for two (2) Global Health Security (GHS) activities that are focused on 1. Global Health Security Coordination and Response and 2. Global Health Security Capacities Strengthening.
The Health Sector Renewal Plan (HSRP) of the GoN, the strategic blueprints of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and that of the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) all prioritize health security as a strategic pillar and action area.
The new leadership of the GoN provides an opportunity to align with the Sector Wide Approach to Programming (SWAP) of the HSRP results framework; which puts GHS as a national priority.
Potential USAID/Nigeria implementing partners shall be guided by the GoNs National Action Plans for Health Security and real-time gaps in Emergency Preparedness, Readiness, and Response (EPRR). The progress in achieving these goals will be measured through internationally accepted metrics, WHO benchmarks for strengthening health emergency capacities, the International Health Regulations (IHR) Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool and Nigeria’s ability to achieve the 7-1-7 outbreak detection and response goals for major outbreaks.
Purpose
- Activity 1: USAID Global Health Security Coordination and Response Activity
- The USAID/Nigeria Global Health Security (GHS) Coordination and Response Activity aims to protect communities from epidemic prone diseases and other public health hazards and promote social and economic progress.
- Approach: The GHS – Coordination and Response activity will focus on two (2) priority technical areas:
- International Health Regulation (IHR) Coordination, National IHR Focal Point functions and advocacy (P3)
- Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) (R1)
- These efforts will leverage other ongoing USAID support to the GoN to prevent, prepare for, get ready, detect and respond to public health emergencies in a timely and efficient manner. This activity is complementary to USAID/Nigeria health office awards in the areas of Primary Health Care (PHC), Human Resources for Health (HRH), Healthcare Financing (including advocacy for health security financing), Community Health and Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), data, surveillance and strengthened Health Information Systems (HIS).
- Activity 2: USAID Global Health Security Capacities Strengthening Activity
- USAID Nigeria plans to provide technical assistance and service delivery support to the Government of Nigeria to achieve ‘Demonstrated Capacity’ as measured by relevant health security assessments: such as the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), within the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework; WHO benchmarks or a comparable level measured by the country’s State Party Self-Assessment Annual Reporting Tool (SPAR), and/or other relevant health security assessments.
- Approach: The USAID Nigeria Global Health Security (GHS) – Technical Capacities Strengthening activity will focus on Five (5) priority technical areas from the WHO’s IHR M&E framework and the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool:
- Antimicrobial Resistance (JEE P4)
- Zoonoses – Human/One Health (JEE P5)
- Biosafety and Biosecurity (JEE P7)
- National Laboratory Systems (JEE D1)
- Infection Prevention and Control (JEE R4)
- These efforts will leverage other ongoing USAID support to the GoN to prevent, prepare for, get ready, detect and respond to public health emergencies in a timely and efficient manner.
- This activity is complementary to USAID/Nigeria health office awards in the areas of Primary Health Care (PHC), Human Resources for Health (HRH), Healthcare Financing (including advocacy for health security financing), community health and Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC), data, surveillance and strengthened Health Information Systems (HIS).
Goals and Objectives
- Activity 1: USAID Global Health Security Coordination and Response Activity
- Advocate for and achieve political commitment, financing, and leadership towards the establishment and sustenance of the supra-ministerial One Health Coordination Forum for MDAs and stakeholders at national and state levels with mandates & convening powers to drive Health Emergency Preparedness, Readiness and Response (HEPRR) functions.
- Strengthen, improve and sustain a level of demonstrated capacity in International Health Regulation (IHR) coordination and effective Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) system while supporting its build up where it is non-existent, at sub national levels.
- Support the IHR Focal Point, NCDC, to develop, implement, and monitor robust plans for health security such as the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), IHR States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR), and the Multi-Hazard Public Health Preparedness and Response Plans and After Action Reviews (AAR).
- Coordinate and collaborate with other USAID global health security programs – Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDs Relief (PEPFAR), Tuberculosis (TB), President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and other health security system strengthening efforts for coordination and efficiency.
- During PHEM coordinate and compliment humanitarian development nexus programs, including disaster response mechanisms; on food security; water sanitation and hygiene; education, and community leadership; to mount effective responses.
- Build capacity of subnational coordinating One Health structures, systems, and services to detect, assess, notify, report, and respond to public health risks and threats.
- Activity 2: USAID Global Health Security Capacities Strengthening Activity
- Preventing the accidental or intentional spread of pathogens within and from laboratories through consistent implementation of stringent biosafety and biosecurity (BSBS) practice.
- Support fit-for-purpose laboratory systems in public and private institutions, and One Health ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), that accurately detect and report emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) and AMR and implement laboratory support during health emergencies.
- Strengthen activities that reduce the emergence and spread of One Health antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by sustaining antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) at national and subnational levels.
- Strengthen Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and prevention of healthcare associated infection (HCAI) while institutionalizing consistent IPC practices among healthcare workers in medical facilities.
- Integrate and leverage other USAID global health programs – including PEPFAR, Tuberculosis (TB), the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), laboratory sample transport, quality management and diagnostic network systems.
- Utilize technical capacities strengthened during humanitarian development situations, including disaster response mechanisms in the following areas; IPC/water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), laboratory optimization, biodefense and biosafety.
- Building capacity at a national level, zonal and regional healthcare facilities, and at the primary healthcare level to prevent, detect and monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR), implement antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), and prevent the spread of resistant organisms.
- Empowering zonal and regional facilities and health care management teams at the state and local government area (LGA) levels to strengthen and monitor health security practices, particularly in AMS and IPC, at regional and state and LGA-level facilities.
Funding Information
- USAID/Nigeria is making a special call for the submission of concepts focused on the following activities and anticipates two (2) cooperative agreements, one for each Global Health Security activity area, with a period of performance of five years.
- Activity 1: GHS Coordination and Response: up to $12,500,000
- Activity 2: GHS Capacities Strengthening: up to $20,000,000
Geographic Focus
- Activity 1: USAID Global Health Security Coordination and Response Activity
- The GHS – Coordination and Response activity will focus on national level support, as well as sub-national footprints in Lagos and Kano states based on population size, movement of persons, cross border communities, major points of entry (PoEs), population densities, and sub national JEEs. USAID/Nigeria may change or add the geographic coverage of this activity if public health threats emerge, or to respond to GON requests, and/or the United States Government’s current and future plans and priorities, including opportunities to maximize collaboration, improve efficiency, and amplify results.
- Activity 2: USAID Global Health Security Capacities Strengthening Activity
- This GHS Technical Capacities Strengthening Activity will focus on national level and sub-national support in Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Enugu, Plateau, Kebbi and Akwa Ibom states. USAID/Nigeria may change the geographic coverage of this activity in order to respond to GON requests, and/or the United States Government’s current and future plans and priorities as public health threats emerge.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility for this NOFO is restricted to local Nigerian organizations. Applications will not be accepted from any other types of organizations or individuals.
- Local entity means an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:
- Is legally organized under the laws of Nigeria;
- Has its principal place of business or operations in Nigeria;
- Majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Nigeria
- Managed by a governing body – the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Nigeria.
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