Strengthening National Epidemiologic and Research Capacity to Track the HIV/TB Epidemic and Improve Health Outcomes in the Kingdom of Eswatini under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA GH20 2025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is CDC RFA GH20-2025 (PEPFAR) trying to achieve in Eswatini?

This cooperative agreement is designed to strengthen Eswatini's national epidemiologic and research-related capacity to better track the intertwined HIV and TB epidemics and to use higher-quality data to improve health outcomes. The overall intent is to improve how HIV/TB information is collected, linked, analyzed, and used for action so prevention and treatment programs can be targeted more precisely and monitored more reliably over time.

What kind of funding mechanism is this?

The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism. That means CDC expects substantial involvement in the workplan through collaboration, technical input, and ongoing performance monitoring (rather than operating purely as a hands-off grant).

Which U.S. government agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health (CGH).

Is this opportunity connected to PEPFAR?

Yes. The funding opportunity is under PEPFAR and is focused on strengthening national systems that support HIV and TB epidemic control.

How much funding is expected for the first year?

The notice describes an anticipated total of approximately USD 5,000,000 for Year 1, contingent on the availability of funds.

How many awards does CDC expect to make?

The notice indicates an expected single award.

What does it mean that the "Award Ceiling for Year 1" is listed as 0?

The notice lists an "Award Ceiling for Year 1" as 0 (none). This typically signals that CDC did not set a formal upper limit in the announcement text, rather than implying that no funding will be provided.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any further clarifications in the full notice.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity falls under CFDA 93.067.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date listed in the notice was March 7, 2020.

Which Eswatini government bodies are central to implementation?

Implementation is routed through Eswatini's Ministry of Health (MOH), the Central Statistics Office (CSO), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA). The opportunity emphasizes building and institutionalizing core public health functions inside key government bodies.

Is this funding meant to deliver direct clinical services?

No. The opportunity is described as less about delivering direct clinical services and more about strengthening the backbone of national data and evidence systems, including surveillance, survey readiness, research governance, and vital statistics infrastructure.

What are the main strategic areas of work described in the opportunity?

The opportunity is structured around three strategies: (1) strengthening HIV and TB surveillance systems (including HIV case-based surveillance), (2) strengthening health research capacity and population-based HIV impact assessments (PHIA) capability, and (3) strengthening reporting and practical use of vital statistics through interoperable data systems across MOH, CSO, and MOHA.

What does Strategy 1 focus on?

Strategy 1 centers on strengthening HIV and TB surveillance systems, including HIV case-based surveillance. It emphasizes capacity building within the MOH Epidemiology and Disease Control Unit (EDCU), described as the main technical home for surveillance improvements.

What kinds of improvements are expected under the surveillance strategy?

The strategy emphasizes making routine surveillance more complete and timely, improving data quality and standardization, and ensuring surveillance outputs can be translated into program decisions.

What is the expected surveillance-related outcome?

A key expected outcome is increased ability to implement and sustain HIV/TB surveillance systems, including more rapid HIV recent infection testing and better identification of people recently infected with HIV.

How is "recent infection" information intended to be used?

Recent infection information is intended to support targeted testing and prevention efforts, both geographically (focusing on hotspots) and among specific subpopulations where transmission risk is concentrated.

What does Strategy 2 focus on?

Strategy 2 focuses on strengthening health research capacity and population-based HIV impact assessments (PHIA) by building the capabilities of the MOH Health Research Unit (HRU).

Is Strategy 2 intended to fund new research studies directly?

No. The opportunity states that the aim is not to fund new research studies directly, but to strengthen the systems, skills, and governance structures that make high-quality research and large-scale assessments possible and ethically sound.

What role does the National Health Research Review Board (NHRRB) play in this opportunity?

Support is intended to improve protocol review and study monitoring through the National Health Research Review Board (NHRRB), reinforcing ethical oversight, compliance, and accountability.

What is the expected result related to PHIA?

An important expected result is improved national capacity to implement population-based HIV surveys such as PHIA, which are used to estimate incidence, prevalence, treatment coverage, viral suppression, and other key epidemic control metrics.

What does Strategy 3 focus on?

Strategy 3 targets the reporting and practical use of vital statistics through interoperable data systems, working across MOH, CSO, and MOHA. It is about strengthening civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) functions and ensuring that birth, death, and related registration data can be collected, managed, and shared responsibly across systems that need them.

What does "interoperability" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Interoperability is described as moving away from siloed datasets toward connected systems that support more reliable reporting, reduce duplication, and make it easier for decision-makers to access and use timely information.

What outcomes are expected from the vital statistics and interoperability work?

Expected outcomes include improved access to and use of HIV/TB data to guide program interventions, along with improved capacity to collect and manage civil registration data. This supports more accurate population denominators and mortality measurement and helps anchor epidemic metrics in real-world demographic trends.

What is the overarching "theory of change" described for this opportunity?

The opportunity describes a straightforward theory of change: when Eswatini has stronger institutional capacity to produce high-quality, linked, and timely data on HIV and TB, the national response can identify gaps faster, target prevention and testing more effectively (including through recent infection insights), monitor outcomes more credibly, and ultimately improve population health results through better-informed policy and program choices.

Why does the opportunity emphasize institutions and core public health functions?

The program is structured around building and institutionalizing core public health functions inside key government bodies so improvements to surveillance, research governance, survey readiness, and vital statistics are sustained and embedded in national systems rather than being temporary or purely project-based.

What types of data improvements are emphasized across the opportunity?

Across the strategies, the opportunity emphasizes higher-quality data collection, improved linkage of information across systems, stronger analysis, and better use of outputs for action. This includes standardization, timeliness, ethical oversight, responsible data sharing, and practical accessibility for decision-makers.