Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Support Eswatini to Achieve Sustained Epidemic Control - Georgetown University, through its Center for Global Health Practice and Impact (GU CGHPI), in equal partnership with Kingdom of Eswatini Ministry of Health, and support from BAO Systems LLC, a leading health information systems organization, submits this application under CDC-RFA-GH20-2027 Support Government of The Kingdom of Eswatini (GKoE) to provide Comprehensive Quality Assured Care, Treatment and Prevention HIV/TB Services to Achieve and Sustain Epidemic Control under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).” Together, we leverage our unique but complementary strengths to implement a joint strategy to achieve and maintain HIV epidemic control by: 1) ensuring clinical services are maintained at current levels in Eswatini; 2) reaching missing populations at risk of having or acquiring HIV-infection, threatening epidemic control; and 3) sustaining gains by supporting capacity building and a smooth programmatic transition to the GKoE. Our proposal, “Support Eswatini to Achieve Sustained Epidemic Control (SEASEC),” aims to provide TA/capacity building support to health structures at community, facility, regional, and national levels to optimize HIV/TB programs in two CDC-supported regions (Manzini and Lubombo). SEASEC will: i) enhance capacity of institutions to provide effective oversight and quality assurance to HIV/TB services; ii) improve competences and capacity of program managers and health care providers to implement high-impact HIV/TB and related interventions in line with MOH, PEPFAR, and WHO guidelines; and iii) enhance functionality and responsiveness of core health systems to support efficient and effective delivery of HIV/TB services. We will implement cross-cutting approaches in all the RFA-stated program areas to optimize impact: 1) Co-creation and co-implementation of interventions with GKoE at all levels served; 2) Data-to-Care institutionalization to improve outcomes for individuals living with HIV, or at risk of getting infected, infused with continuous quality and performance improvement; 3) Embedment of key experts to work with MOH, regional, and health facility teams, and continuously transfer capacity to facilitate sustainable program interventions; and 4) Baseline and continuous service level assessments, program and population level epidemiological and clinical data for real-time. Our implementation approach-“Local Innovations Spread Through Enterprise Networks (LISTEN)” uses Human-Centered Design (HCD) to foster functional Communities of Practice at different levels to bring together political and policy leaders, health managers, care providers, and the community, and equip them with tools and targeted data to enhance problem definition, ideas and solutions generation, problem-solving, and scale-up of key best practices and innovations. We will also improve program management, effective decision-making, and oversight capabilities of administrative regional offices to promote more ownership and oversight. Finally, we propose leveraging technology innovations to enhance service delivery efficiency, focusing on linkage to care, retention, access to viral load, and monitoring viral load suppression. These efforts will be supported with real-time data science, including data customization, visualization, and use for precision programming and program fidelity at all levels of clinical services and prevention activities. The SEASEC Team provides an unsurpassed track record of effective multi-level engagement in many countries, and in Eswatini we are able to engage up to the Prime Minister and His Majesty, and down to the local level, including chiefdoms and the main development partners in Eswatini. This will ensure that health investments are harmonized to optimize impact. Moreover, our team offers CDC Eswatini a powerful and effective mechanism for the best utilization of its financial resources, bringing the most value for every dollar in this award to better ensure sustainability.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).