Deadline: 22-Mar-2024
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam (USAID/Vietnam) is seeking applications for a Cooperative Agreement from qualified entities to implement the “USAID Strengthening Local Health Security” Program.
Purpose
- The purpose of the Activity is to strengthen Vietnam’s capacity at the sub-national levels to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic-prone emerging infectious diseases (EID) through One Health (human, animal, and environmental) approaches to achieve Global Health Security (GHS) targets, focusing on zoonotic diseases (ZD), EID surveillance and response, and risk communications and community engagement (RCCE).
Goal
- The Activity seeks to strengthen the capacity of sub-national stakeholders in AH and HH to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to EID threats in close collaboration with other GHS implementing partners.
Objectives
- ZD prevention and mitigation capacity enhanced to reduce EIDs in animals and transmission to people.
- ZD surveillance and multisectoral information systems enhanced.
- RCCE capacity in preparedness and response to EID threats improved.
Funding Information
- USAID intends to provide up to $21,500,000.00 in total USAID funding over a 5-year period subject to the availability of funds.
- The anticipated period of performance is 5 years. The estimated start date will be September 20, 2023.
Illustrative Interventions
- Objective 1
- This objective seeks to identify and reduce risks of EIDs, ZD, and AMR by improving sanitary practices, biosafety, and biosecurity in food animal production, animal processing, and at high-risk animal-human interfaces. The focus is to reduce risks at provincial, district, commune, and farm levels.
- Expand the reach of EID and ZD prevention policies and guidelines at sufficient scale to demonstrate implementation and utilization at subnational levels;
- Expand the reach of EID prevention interventions to at-risk animal and human populations to demonstrate uptake of improved sanitary animal production practices; and
- Ensure that EID prevention policies and guidelines for the three priority value-chains (poultry, pigs, and captive wildlife) are implemented at provincial and district levels.
- This objective seeks to identify and reduce risks of EIDs, ZD, and AMR by improving sanitary practices, biosafety, and biosecurity in food animal production, animal processing, and at high-risk animal-human interfaces. The focus is to reduce risks at provincial, district, commune, and farm levels.
- Objective 2
- This objective seeks to strengthen and expand real-time animal disease surveillance at the provincial and district levels and to enhance multisectoral surveillance and information sharing systems.
- Strengthen AH surveillance, including expansion of live animal market and farm level disease surveillance activities as needed, with reporting and strengthened functioning of the VAHIS at district level;
- Strengthen and improve surveillance information sharing across One Health sectors, including improve interoperability between information systems;
- Improve event based monitoring system, including scale and strengthening of specimen referral system (SRS) to improve real time surveillance;
- This objective seeks to strengthen and expand real-time animal disease surveillance at the provincial and district levels and to enhance multisectoral surveillance and information sharing systems.
- Objective 3
- This objective seeks to improve RCCE capacities at sub-national levels to develop more meaningful engagement and exchange of information, including perceptions and knowledge of EID risks, between authorities and communities, and to strengthen trust and local ownership on GHS strategies and interventions.
- Implement community engagement coordination mechanisms at national, intermediate, community levels with feedback mechanisms at each level;
- Demonstrate and sustain uptake of appropriate EID prevention, detection, and response efforts at commune level;
- Develop and implement evidence-based risk communication strategies and systems at provincial, district, and commune levels with engagement of appropriate stakeholders;
- This objective seeks to improve RCCE capacities at sub-national levels to develop more meaningful engagement and exchange of information, including perceptions and knowledge of EID risks, between authorities and communities, and to strengthen trust and local ownership on GHS strategies and interventions.
Expected Results
- EID prevention policies and guidelines for the three priority value-chains (poultry, pigs, and captive wildlife) and transmission of EID to the public strengthened and implemented at provincial and district levels;
- Assessment of gaps in EID prevention knowledge and skills and barriers to uptake of sanitary animal production practices in select provinces and districts at risk for EID emergence conducted;
- Sanitary practices, biosafety, and biosecurity guidelines, certifications, and implementation at live animal facilities (farms, slaughter places, markets, and others) in the animal production (bird, pig, and wildlife) value chain strengthened and expanded with appropriate technical input from FAO and other key partners;
- Appropriate alternatives to antibiotics in sanitary animal production guidelines, with appropriate technical input from FAO and relevant partners, incorporated and implemented in animal farms;
- Sustainable networks and linkages among stakeholders, such as district public health and animal health officers, animal product supply businesses, associations, and farmers, established.
Geographic Coverage
- The proposed provinces include two in the North, one in the Central, and four in the South initially. The initial provinces are likely to be Quang Ninh and Thai Nguyen (North), Da Nang or Nghe An (Central), and Dong Nai, Can Tho, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City (South) based on meeting the criteria below.
- High burden of EIDs;
- Where other Implementing Partners (IPs) are already established;
- Types and density of poultry, pig, and wildlife farms, markets, and slaughterhouses; and density of other animal value chain risks;
- Human population density with significant interface with live animals;
- Border areas; and
- Provincial commitment and capacity.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility for this NOFO is not restricted.
- While for-profit firms may participate, pursuant to 2 CFR 200.400(g), it is USAID policy not to award profit to Recipients and subrecipients under assistance instruments. However, while profit is not allowed for sub-awards, the prohibition does not apply when the recipient acquires goods and services in accordance with 2 CFR 200.317 -326, “Procurement Standards.” Forgone profit does not qualify as cost-share.
- Each applicant must be found to be a responsible entity before receiving an award. The Agreement Officer (AO) may determine that a pre-award survey is required in accordance with ADS 303.3.9.1 to determine whether the applicant has the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills – or ability to obtain them – in order to achieve the objectives of the program and comply with established U.S. Government standards, laws, and regulations. Applicants who do not currently meet all USAID requirements for systems and controls may still be eligible under special award considerations and should not be discouraged from applying.
- 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.