Sustaining HIV Epidemic Control through Efficient Case Finding and Quality Care and Treatment Services in Malawi under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA GH21 2150

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH21 2150

This grant opportunity, titled "Sustaining HIV Epidemic Control through Efficient Case Finding and Quality Care and Treatment Services in Malawi under PEPFAR," is a CDC cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA GH21 2150; CFDA 93.067) intended to help Malawi maintain and build on its HIV epidemic control gains. The program is designed to sustain progress made toward the UN 90-90-90 targets while pushing further toward the UN 95-95-95 goals. A central theme is that overall national progress has been strong, but key groups including men, adolescents and youth, and children are still not being reached or served as effectively as needed, so the work must be more targeted and tailored rather than purely broad-based.

Funding for the first year is projected at approximately $8,000,000, contingent on availability of funds. The notice lists a Year 1 award ceiling of $0, which typically signals that a specific per-award cap is not being stated in the synopsis even though CDC expects to obligate funds in total across awards. CDC anticipated making up to two awards. The opportunity was posted February 18, 2021, with an original application deadline of April 19, 2021 (applications due by 11:59 p.m. ET). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning organizations of many types could apply as long as they meet any additional eligibility conditions described in the full announcement.

Programmatically, CDC expects recipient(s) to work closely with Malawi's Ministry of Health at the site level through a practical, integrated approach that combines hands-on service delivery support with continuous mentorship and quality improvement. The scope is built around three connected service areas. First is HIV Testing Services (HTS), with an emphasis on efficient, targeted case-finding strategies. The intent is to find people living with HIV who have not yet been diagnosed by using approaches that increase yield and focus effort where undiagnosed infection is most likely, rather than relying primarily on broad, low-yield testing.

Second is care and treatment, covering the full continuum from initiation to long-term retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART). This includes support for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT), management of opportunistic infections and Advanced HIV Disease (OIs/AHD), and implementation of differentiated service delivery models (DSDM). The NOFO stresses linking and retaining clients so the national ART cohort continues to grow while quality of clinical care improves. It also highlights adherence support and "back-to-care" strategies, meaning active efforts to return people to treatment if they have missed visits or disengaged. DSDM is framed as a client-centered way to deliver treatment and follow-up, adjusting service intensity and visit schedules to patient needs and stability, which can reduce burden on both clients and clinics while maintaining strong outcomes.

Third is prevention, specifically ensuring that people who test HIV-negative are not lost after a single contact but are actively linked to effective prevention options. A key named intervention is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), with prioritization of populations at higher risk. The opportunity particularly points to men and young women, reflecting ongoing gaps in both incidence reduction and consistent engagement in prevention and treatment services.

The anticipated results tie these components together: improved performance toward 95-95-95 across all ages and sexes; continued expansion of the number of clients on ART; stronger quality of care and treatment outcomes; broader and more appropriate access to client-centered differentiated service delivery; and, ultimately, reduced HIV incidence, especially among men and young women. Overall, the award is structured to support Malawi in moving from strong progress to sustained epidemic control by sharpening case finding, strengthening retention and clinical quality, and linking prevention more directly to testing and routine service delivery.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Sustaining HIV Epidemic Control through Efficient Case Finding and Quality Care and Treatment Services in Malawi 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 Feb 18, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 19, 2021 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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