Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH17 1719
This funding opportunity, titled "Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Systems in the Republic of Cameroon under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)," is a CDC cooperative agreement designed to help the Government of Cameroon strengthen and modernize its public health laboratory system as a core part of the national HIV response. The overall aim is to build sustainable, locally led laboratory infrastructure and diagnostic workforce capacity across Cameroon's tiered health system, so that HIV and HIV-related infections can be diagnosed accurately, monitored reliably, and managed effectively in districts supported by PEPFAR. Rather than focusing on one isolated lab activity, the opportunity is structured around system-wide improvements that connect quality management, workforce development, data systems, and specimen transport into a single, functional laboratory network.
A central emphasis of the program is the rollout of continuous quality improvement (CQI) approaches for HIV testing and related services. This includes applying key elements of the Rapid Testing Quality Improvement Initiative (RTQII), which is commonly used to improve the reliability of rapid HIV testing at the point of care by strengthening standardized procedures, supervision, corrective actions, and ongoing performance monitoring. In practical terms, this part of the award supports the kind of routine quality checks and coaching that reduce testing errors, increase confidence in results, and improve clinical decision-making for treatment initiation and follow-up. Because rapid testing is often the front door to HIV services, improving quality at this level has ripple effects across prevention, treatment, and patient outcomes.
The opportunity also prioritizes building and institutionalizing proficiency testing capacity. Proficiency testing is a core external quality assessment method that helps laboratories and testing sites demonstrate they can produce accurate results by periodically testing blinded samples and comparing results against expected values. Under this FOA, proficiency testing support is specifically tied to high-impact HIV diagnostics and monitoring areas: early infant diagnosis (EID), routine HIV testing, CD4 testing, and viral load testing. Strengthening proficiency testing in these areas helps ensure that infants exposed to HIV are diagnosed correctly and quickly, that treatment eligibility and immune status assessments are dependable, and that viral load monitoring accurately reflects whether treatment is working. Over time, embedding proficiency testing into national systems helps shift quality oversight from ad hoc partner support to sustained government-owned practice.
Another major component is training and mentoring to strengthen the diagnostic workforce, with particular attention to biosafety and equipment maintenance. Biosafety is critical in laboratory settings to protect staff and patients, prevent contamination, and reduce the risk of exposure to infectious materials. Equipment maintenance matters because many testing platforms fail or produce unreliable outputs when calibration, routine servicing, and basic troubleshooting are neglected. This FOA supports building practical skills and habits through hands-on mentoring, not just one-time classroom training, so that laboratory personnel can follow safe practices consistently and keep instruments functioning across different levels of the health system, including more resource-constrained facilities.
The program further supports the development and implementation of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to improve data collection, tracking, and management. LIMS investments are intended to reduce common bottlenecks such as missing results, delayed reporting, poor traceability of specimens, and inconsistent data across sites. Stronger laboratory data systems can improve turnaround time for critical test results like viral load and EID, allow better monitoring of testing volumes and performance, and make it easier for program managers and clinicians to act on results. When implemented well, LIMS also strengthens accountability by enabling audits, quality reviews, and real-time performance monitoring across the laboratory network.
Finally, the FOA calls for implementation of a robust sample referral network system. In many settings, advanced tests like viral load and EID are centralized, which means specimens must move reliably from peripheral clinics to higher-tier laboratories, and results must return quickly to the point of care. A strong referral network addresses transport logistics, packaging and biosafety standards, tracking and chain-of-custody, route planning, and coordination between facilities. By improving specimen transport and result return, the referral network directly supports faster clinical action, fewer lost samples, better patient follow-up, and more effective HIV treatment monitoring across PEPFAR-supported districts.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health (CGH), issued as a cooperative agreement, which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement in technical guidance, collaboration, and oversight during implementation. The funding opportunity number is CDC RFA GH17 1719, listed under CFDA 93.067. Eligibility is unrestricted, the original closing date was 2016-10-23, and the opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $5,000,000. Overall, the grant is structured to help Cameroon strengthen laboratory systems in a way that supports day-to-day HIV service delivery while also building durable national capacity in quality management, workforce competency, data systems, and specimen transport.Apply for CDC RFA GH17 1719
- The Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Systems in the Republic of Cameroon under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-24.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-10-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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FAQs: Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Systems in the Republic of Cameroon under PEPFAR (CDC Cooperative Agreement)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is titled "Strengthening Public Health Laboratory Systems in the Republic of Cameroon under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)."
Which U.S. government agency is offering this grant?
The opportunity is offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health (CGH).
What type of funding mechanism is this?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement.
What does "cooperative agreement" imply for how the project is run?
A cooperative agreement typically means CDC expects substantial involvement during implementation, including technical guidance, collaboration, and oversight.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is CDC RFA GH17 1719.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.067.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is unrestricted.
What is the main purpose of this award?
The purpose is to help the Government of Cameroon strengthen and modernize its public health laboratory system as a core part of the national HIV response, focusing on sustainable, locally led laboratory infrastructure and diagnostic workforce capacity across Cameroon's tiered health system.
Where will the program activities take place?
Program activities are intended to strengthen laboratory systems in the Republic of Cameroon, including districts supported by PEPFAR.
Is the focus on a single laboratory activity or broader system improvements?
The opportunity is structured around system-wide improvements that connect quality management, workforce development, data systems, and specimen transport into a single, functional laboratory network, rather than focusing on one isolated lab activity.
How does this opportunity support the national HIV response?
It aims to ensure HIV and HIV-related infections can be diagnosed accurately, monitored reliably, and managed effectively by strengthening laboratory network performance, quality, workforce competency, data systems, and specimen referral pathways.
What role does continuous quality improvement (CQI) play in this program?
CQI is a central emphasis, especially for HIV testing and related services. The program supports ongoing approaches that improve reliability over time through standardized procedures, supervision, corrective actions, and performance monitoring.
What is RTQII and how is it used here?
RTQII refers to the Rapid Testing Quality Improvement Initiative. In this opportunity, it is used to improve the reliability of rapid HIV testing at the point of care by reinforcing standardized procedures, supervision, corrective actions, and ongoing monitoring.
Why is improving rapid HIV testing quality emphasized?
Rapid testing is often the entry point to HIV services. Improving quality reduces testing errors, increases confidence in results, and improves clinical decision-making for treatment initiation and follow-up, with downstream effects on prevention, treatment, and patient outcomes.
What is proficiency testing and why is it included?
Proficiency testing is an external quality assessment method where laboratories and testing sites periodically test blinded samples and compare results to expected values. It is included to help ensure accurate results and to institutionalize quality oversight within national systems.
Which testing areas are specifically linked to proficiency testing support under this FOA?
Proficiency testing support is specifically tied to early infant diagnosis (EID), routine HIV testing, CD4 testing, and viral load testing.
How does strengthening proficiency testing help patient care?
It helps ensure infants exposed to HIV are diagnosed correctly and quickly, that CD4-related assessments are dependable, and that viral load monitoring accurately reflects whether treatment is working.
What workforce development activities are prioritized?
The opportunity prioritizes training and mentoring to strengthen the diagnostic workforce, with particular attention to biosafety and equipment maintenance, supported through hands-on mentoring rather than only one-time classroom training.
Why is biosafety highlighted in the workforce component?
Biosafety is critical to protect staff and patients, prevent contamination, and reduce the risk of exposure to infectious materials in laboratory settings.
Why does the FOA emphasize equipment maintenance?
Equipment maintenance is emphasized because testing platforms can fail or produce unreliable outputs when calibration, routine servicing, and basic troubleshooting are neglected. Strengthening maintenance supports consistent instrument performance across the health system.
What is LIMS and what is it intended to improve?
LIMS stands for Laboratory Information Management Systems. LIMS is intended to improve data collection, tracking, and management by reducing missing results, delayed reporting, poor specimen traceability, and inconsistent data across sites.
How can LIMS improvements affect turnaround times for key tests?
Stronger laboratory data systems can improve turnaround time for critical test results like viral load and EID by improving tracking, reporting workflows, and visibility into where specimens and results are in the system.
How does LIMS support accountability and performance monitoring?
When implemented well, LIMS enables audits, quality reviews, and real-time performance monitoring across the laboratory network, strengthening accountability and management decision-making.
What is meant by a "sample referral network system" in this FOA?
A sample referral network system is the coordinated set of processes that moves specimens from peripheral clinics to higher-tier laboratories for advanced testing and ensures results return quickly to the point of care.
Why is a sample referral network especially important for viral load and EID?
Viral load and EID testing are often centralized, so specimens must be transported reliably and results must return quickly. A strong referral network reduces lost samples and delays, enabling faster clinical action and better patient follow-up.
What operational issues does the referral network component address?
It addresses transport logistics, packaging and biosafety standards, tracking and chain-of-custody, route planning, and coordination between facilities.
How do the different components of this FOA fit together?
The FOA is designed to connect quality management (CQI and RTQII), external quality assessment (proficiency testing), workforce capacity (training and mentoring in biosafety and maintenance), data systems (LIMS), and specimen transport (sample referral networks) into a single, functional laboratory network that supports HIV service delivery.
How many awards were anticipated?
The opportunity anticipated a single award.
What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling was $5,000,000.
What was the original closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date was 2016-10-23.
What is the long-term capacity goal described in the opportunity?
The long-term goal is to build sustainable, locally led laboratory infrastructure and diagnostic workforce capacity, and to embed quality oversight and operational systems into national practice so improvements are durable beyond ad hoc partner support.
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