USAID intends to provide Funding to support efforts to reduce the burden of TB

Deadline: 7-Aug-23

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the USAID Fostering Opportunities to Respond to the TB Epidemic (FORTE).

USAID/Mozambique intends to award a $30 million USD, five-year Cooperative Agreement (CA) to support the Government of the Republic of Mozambique (GRM) to improve Tuberculosis (TB) Epidemic response in Mozambique’s high burden provinces of northern and central Mozambique.

TB is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adults, after HIV/AIDS, and malaria, and it is the number one killer of adults with HIV in the country. To support the Government of the Republic of Mozambique to eliminate TB as a public health problem by 2035, USAID is working with the National TB Program (NTP) and its partners.

Activity Goal and Objectives

• The overall goal of this activity, the “Fostering Opportunities to Respond to the TB Epidemic” (FORTE)”, is to support the GRM’s efforts to reduce the burden of TB and DR-TB in selected provinces of Mozambique. This goal will be accomplished through the following main objective: Improve access to quality TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services in Mozambique.
• The activity will aim to meet the following strategic objectives:
  • Reach: Maximize the detection of all forms of TB in all individuals of all ages.
  • Cure: Empower all individuals diagnosed with TB to complete treatment and be cured.
  • Prevent: Stop the spread of new infections and the progression from infection to active TB disease.
  • Innovate: Research, develop, introduce, and scale-up new tools and approaches to combat TB.
  • Sustain: Build country-owned TB systems, led by local partners, that accelerates progress and support pandemic preparedness.

Funding Information

• USAID intends to award one Cooperative Agreement pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide up to $30,000,000.00 in total USAID funding over a five-year period.

Assumptions

• The overall program Theory of Change is based on the following assumptions:
  • If USAID expands TB screening and TB detection at community and facility levels (IR 1.1), strengthens laboratory capacity for TB detection (IR1.2), and increases access and utilization of WHO recommended rapid molecular test (IR1.3),
    • Then, quality of TB detection (diagnosis) will be improved (IR1) and
  • If USAID improves patient centered care for TB (IR2.1), strengthens clinical/laboratory follow up of DS-TB and DR-TB (IR2.2), and increases access to and utilization of complete drug sensitivity testing for DR-TB among patients in treatment (IR2.3)
    • then, TB treatment success rates will be improved (IR2) and
  • If USAID increases access to the TPT care cascade for high-risk groups (IR 3.1) and strengthens facility level infection committees and control plans (IR 3.2)
    • then, TB preventive measures for high-risk groups will be strengthened (IR3) and
  • If USAID strengthens data quality and management at facility and district levels (IR4.1), improves TB data analysis capacity and utilization at all levels (IR 4.2), and optimizes service delivery through data utilization and targeted operational research to address barriers in NTP (IR4.3)
    • then, the capacity for decision making, quality improvement, and operational research within the national TB program will be improved (IR 4)

Intended Results

• IR 1: Improve quality TB detection.
• IR 2: Increase TB treatment success rates.
• IR 3: Strengthen TB preventive measures for high-risk groups (children, PLHIV and HCWs).
• IR 4: Improve capacity for evidence-based decision making within the TB program.

Geographic Focus and Operations

• In line with USAID/Mozambique’s geographic focus and GRM Priorities, this activity will be implemented in provinces of northern and central Mozambique, determined in collaboration with the National TB Program, to focus on areas with the highest presumed burden of TB and those where vulnerable/at-risk populations are located with a focus on achieving meaningful and sustainable impact. The activity is expected to operate at the central, provincial, district, and community levels in the target provinces. The recipient of this award will work at the central and provincial level to support the GRM’s response to the TB epidemic in Mozambique, including DR-TB. All activities will align with existing operational plans and guidelines of the National TB Program and the Ministry of Health.
• Priority districts within each province will be identified in consultation with NTP and will be informed by current partner presence to avoid duplication of effort and leverage other USG and donor investments. The selected geographic area focus is equivalent to 56% of the country’s total national population and 51% of the TB burden. The current USAID program activity supports district level implementation in 50 of the 76 districts in these provinces. For this new activity, USAID intends to expand to a minimum of 60 districts in these 4 priority provinces. Mozambique recently completed field activities and sample collection for a TB Drug Resistant Survey (DRS) for which results are anticipated in 2023. Findings of the DRS will inform the programming focus.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility for this NOFO is restricted to local organizations; however, applicants may seek out and form a consortium with internationally and/or locally established organizations. USAID defines a “local entity” as an individual, a corporation, a non profit organization, or another body or person that:
  • Is legally organized under the law of; and
  • Has as its principal place of business or operation in; and
  • Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of; and
  • Is managed by a governing body, the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance.
• For purposes of this section, “majority owned” and “managed by” include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means.
• USDAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.