USAID Global Health Security Project in Tanzania

Deadline: 06-May-24
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the USAID Global Health Security program to support the strengthening of Tanzania’s capacities to develop, validate, and implement interventions to prevent, detect, and respond to EID threats in Tanzania.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health Security (GHS) Program seeks to prevent and mitigate the increasing occurrence and severity of epidemics, pandemics and other emerging infectious disease threats. They do this by partnering with countries, as well as global, regional, and local public and private sector organizations. These partnerships build and strengthen measurable, sustainable capacity while helping to develop and adopt evidence-based and innovative solutions to prevent, rapidly detect, effectively respond to, and ultimately recover from emerging infectious disease (EID) threats – whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate. Specifically, this project will focus on:

• Building capacity at a national level, and zonal and regional healthcare facilities, to prevent, detect and monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR), implement antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), and prevent the spread of resistant organisms;
• Strengthening the quality of the laboratory system to rapidly and accurately detect and report EIDs and AMR;
• Supporting Government of Tanzania systems to achieve the 7-1-7 metric for timeliness of outbreak response;
• Institutionalizing consistent infection prevention and control (IPC) practices among healthcare workers in medical facilities;
• Preventing the accidental or intentional spread of pathogens within and from laboratories through consistent implementation of stringent biosafety and biosecurity (BSBS) practices;
• Empowering zonal and regional facilities to strengthen and monitor health security practices, particularly in AMS and IPC, at regional and district-level facilities; and
• Proactively conducting multisectoral engagement and coordination with stakeholders from across the national and subnational levels, public and private sectors, and both the animal and human sectors to ensure a One Health approach.

Strategic Objectives

• This project is proposed as a five (5) year activity with a goal of preventing and mitigating the occurrence and severity of epidemics, pandemics, and other EID threats in Tanzania, and to support GoT systems to achieve the 7-1-7 metric for timeliness of outbreak response. The effort will build on previous health system investments, not just those in USAID GHS, but also in other core health activities implemented across the U.S. government and other donors in Tanzania, such as the foundational investments in COVID-19 preparedness and response, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, nutrition, and food security. This activity has three strategic objectives:
• Strategic Objective 1: Avoidable EID threats prevented 
  • USAID Global Health Security will contribute to the prevention of EID threats through interventions that (1) reduce the emergence and spread of AMR, and (2) strengthen and promote BSBS practices.
    • In order to address AMR, the national response must be well coordinated and function with a One Health lens. Surveillance of resistant pathogens, and tracking of antimicrobial consumption and use, should be implemented across sectors in public and private health care facilities, food production, and the community. Under USAID Usalama wa Afya Duniani (Global Health Security), these interventions will be implemented in the human health sector, with the expectation that information will be shared and linked with animal and environmental sectors through the multisectoral coordination committee and through engagement with other U.S. government partners.
    • BSBS aims to mitigate biological proliferation and leakage of dangerous pathogens or toxins , whether intentional or not intentional. In addition, BSBS control storage, transportation and supply of biological agents. This is best achieved through the establishment of national standards and guidelines, which can be implemented consistently in facilities across the country as a multi sectoral, whole-of-government, national biosafety and biosecurity system in the human, animal and agriculture sectors through relevant coordination platforms including BSBS TWG.
• Strategic Objective 2: EID threats detected early 
  • USAID Global Health Security will strengthen EID detection in Tanzania by supporting the development of laboratory systems capable of safely, securely, and accurately testing for EIDs, and surveillance systems capable of detecting, analyzing, and reporting on EIDs.
• Strategic Objective 3: EID outbreaks responded to rapidly and effectively
  • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of implementing IPC programs for preventing and containing the spread of disease and HCAI, and USAID Usalama wa Afya Duniani (Global Health Security) will support the strengthening and consistency of implementing IPC to international standards.
  • While IPC has been introduced to most, if not all, facilities, there remain opportunities to strengthen these practices as consistent implementation of IPC is variable across facilities, and often the IPC focal person at subnational facilities is overtasked. Studies have shown that without regular training on IPC and a strong IPC focal person, and in part due to high staff turnover, adherence to IPC practices can wane among healthcare staff in a facility. Bolstering these practices is complemented by HCAI surveillance within the facilities, regardless of the level of the facility, or whether it is public or private.
• Cross-Cutting Objective: The health security capabilities among the One Health workforce  strengthened; multisectoral coordination supported; and private sector engaged to prevent,  detect, and respond to EID threats

Program Priorities

• Local Partnerships and Sustainability: USAID Usalama wa Afya Duniani (Global Health Security) is intended for implementation by local organizations, with coordination with the Government of Tanzania and the Tanzanian private sector. Additionally, the activity shall support, coordinate, and establish partnerships with local governments, coalitions, associations, and/or organizations, and other stakeholders to facilitate sustainable, lasting solutions to prepare Tanzania for outbreak prevention, detection, and response.
• Private Sector Engagement and Innovation: To date, some coordination between the public and private sectors on health security in Tanzania exists, but additional opportunities to collaborate with associations or specific organizations for system strengthening or discreet activities may be feasible. USAID Usalama wa Afya Duniani (Global Health Security) Project will find innovative means of partnering with associations and other members of the private sector in the areas of AMR, IPC, laboratory systems, biosafety, biosecurity, and surveillance, and/or the foundational areas that underpin each of these, whether through a direct relationship for implementation, a collaboration, consultations, or other means.
• Gender and Youth Engagement: Pandemics and other disease outbreaks have a disproportionate impact on women and children, through disruptions of education systems, disruption of healthcare services at the primary level, and increased potential for unwanted pregnancies or gender-based violence. These health and sociological consequences will be addressed through strengthening the resilience of Tanzania’s health system to prevent, detect, and respond to EIDs. Further, with awareness of gender bias in physicians’ prescribing practices, these biases can be mitigated during the capacity development occurring under the activity.
• U.S. Government Global Climate Change Priorities: This activity will address the health impacts from climate change through prevention, detection and treatment, including strengthening lab and surveillance capabilities for early detection of climate sensitive, vector-borne diseases as part of the continuum of EIDs.

Funding Information

• USAID/Tanzania intends to provide $30,000,000.00 in total funding over a 5-year period which include $5,000,000.00 to be used in the event of a projected or current shock and/or public health emergency should additional resources be made available to USAID for that purpose (i.e. Crisis Modifier funds).

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible to submit a concept paper, applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements when submitting its concept paper. Applicants that do not meet every single requirement must not submit a concept paper. If an applicant is found not to meet one or more of the requirements, the concept paper will not be reviewed by USAID.
• The eligibility for this NOFO is restricted to Tanzanian Organizations. Eligibility is exclusively restricted only to the principal/prime applicant but not to the subawardees.
• Local entity means an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that
  • Is legally organized under the laws of the United Republic of Tanzania; and
  • Has as its principal place of business or operations in the United Republic of Tanzania; and
  • Is:
    • Majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Tanzania; and
    • Managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United Republic of Tanzania
• USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.