Description
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will fund the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) activity under the Angola Country Operational Plan (COP) 2020. The PEPFAR Angola program aims to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in support of the First Lady, Mrs. Ana Dias Lourenco's initiative, Born Free to Shine, to strengthen HIV care and treatment at health facilities, increase community engagement, and build clinical laboratory and supply chain infrastructure. Through the Ambassador’s Small Grants Program, the US Embassy in Luanda seeks proposals from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or independent civil society organizations (CSOs) registered in Angola whose mission is to improve HIV services at the facility and community level. This is a fixed amount award to be administered by a Grants Officer at the US Embassy in Luanda. Priority Region: Funding will be allocated for activities in Benguela, Cunene, Huambo and Lunda Sul. PEPFAR Angola works in 22 facilities and communities in these four Provinces. Note: proposals may include activities in one, some, or all province(s). PROGRAM OBJECTIVES PEPFAR is committed to accelerating progress in reaching HIV/AIDS epidemic control in the highest burden countries through client-centered prevention and treatment. Working with NGOs or CSOs through a CLM approach will enable PEPFAR Angola to identify enablers and barriers to HIV services, as well as opportunities to expand use and access. In order to improve retention on life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) who may not view themselves as sick, collaboration with communities and patients is urgent and critical. Continuation in treatment, supporting adherence to antiretroviral treatment, and sustained viral suppression will help achieve HIV epidemic control. To ensure CLM becomes an integral and routine part of the national HIV response in Angola, PEPFAR Angola will facilitate measures to enhance local NGO/CSO capacity for independently monitoring quality of HIV services (at the facility and the community level) and improve capacity to independently and routinely monitor and report on program quality, as well as supporting advocacy efforts and corrective action. CLM provides a first-hand perspective on the implementation of quality services and minimum policies and standards. It also reinforces the essential role of peers and local NGO/CSOs to provide insights and key perspectives of HIV clients concerning services via routine learning, monitoring, and advocacy in addition to systematic data collection and analysis that will ultimately lead to corrective action and substantial change to policies, procedures, and practices. In other words, it will be a client-centered approach where service users, community members, marginalized populations, advocates, etc. perspectives and feedback, data and advocacy will be used to improve health services. This NOFO seeks eligible organizations to implement activities (once they have consulted with provincial health authorities and have gained permission to access local health facilities) that will include, but not be limited to: routine people living with HIV consumer surveys at the community level and patient exit interviews at facility sites; collate data which will be systematically analyzed; routinely share data with relevant stakeholders to support continued quality improvement (CQI); and develop corrective action plans that will be implemented. The structure for these activities should be developed with community input. Lessons learned from this activity will also be shared with government institutions, health facilities, PEPFAR, and multi-lateral counterparts including the Global Fund. PLEASE SEE "FULL NOFO" UNDER " DOCUMENTS FOR FULL INFORMATION. This notice is subject to availability of funding.