Reinforcing Africa's Public Health System to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats. | CDC RFA GH18 1849

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH18 1849

The grant opportunity titled "Reinforcing Africa's Public Health System to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats" (Funding Opportunity Number: CDC RFA GH18 1849) is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement designed to bolster public health capacity across Africa through the African Union's Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). It is framed as a sole-source Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), meaning it is intended for a specific implementing entity rather than an open competition among many applicants. The overarching goal is to strengthen the systems and institutions needed to identify outbreaks earlier, contain them faster, and reduce the impact of public health emergencies using evidence-based approaches.

At its core, the opportunity responds to lessons learned from major disease events, particularly the West Africa Ebola epidemic, which exposed gaps in coordination, infrastructure, and preparedness. While the continent has made meaningful progress on global health goals, including advances tied to the Millennium Development Goals and notable efforts in outbreak response, the Ebola crisis highlighted that successes can be undermined when surveillance, laboratory capacity, emergency management, and cross-border coordination are not strong enough or not well integrated. This NOFO is intended to address those vulnerabilities by reinforcing public health systems in a way that improves routine capabilities while also strengthening readiness for rare but high-consequence threats.

The program focuses on improving national and regional public health functions through Africa CDC, emphasizing practical system-building components that are commonly required for effective outbreak prevention and response. Key areas include strengthening disease surveillance systems so that unusual health events are detected quickly and reported through reliable channels; expanding and improving laboratory networks so suspected cases can be confirmed accurately and rapidly; and upgrading health information systems so decision-makers have timely, high-quality data to guide interventions. It also prioritizes emergency preparedness and response, which typically involves developing and testing plans, improving incident management structures, and ensuring rapid-response mechanisms are in place to mobilize personnel and resources during an outbreak.

In addition, the opportunity highlights building public health investigation capacity, which generally includes training and equipping teams to conduct outbreak investigations, field epidemiology, contact tracing support, and other core epidemiologic functions that determine how a disease is spreading and what control measures are most effective. Health promotion activities are also part of the scope, reflecting the reality that communication, community engagement, and behavior-focused prevention strategies often make the difference between a contained event and a prolonged crisis. Taken together, these elements are aimed at making national public health institutions more resilient and better connected, so responses are coordinated not only within countries but also across borders where pathogens can spread quickly.

Administratively, this is listed as discretionary funding under a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means CDC expects substantial involvement during implementation, such as providing technical guidance, coordination support, and ongoing collaboration rather than simply issuing funds with minimal interaction. The awarding agency is the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (specifically CDC's Center for Global Health). The CFDA listing is 93.318. The opportunity was created on December 22, 2017, with an original closing date of February 22, 2018, and electronically submitted applications were due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

The posting indicates an expectation of a single award (Expected Awards: 1), consistent with the sole-source nature and the emphasis on implementing through the African Union/Africa CDC. The award ceiling is listed as 0 in the source data, which usually signals that the maximum funding amount was not specified in the summary field or was to be defined elsewhere in the full announcement. Eligibility is broadly labeled as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, but the narrative makes clear that the intended recipient is tied to the AU-Africa CDC initiative. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted investment to strengthen the foundational systems that allow African countries and regional institutions to prevent outbreaks where possible, detect them early when they occur, and respond in a coordinated, effective way to protect public health.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Reinforcing Africa's Public Health System to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 22, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 22, 2018 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 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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