HIV/AIDS remains the most pressing health problem and leading cause of death in South Africa. Despite high coverage levels for HIV/AIDS services, South Africa has not achieved epidemic control. Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) aged 15-19 have an HIV prevalence rate eight times higher than boys of the same age. Prevalence rises dramatically as young women get older, from 5.6% among 15 to 19 year olds to 17.4% among 20-24 year olds.

This program will strengthen the capacity of the HIV prevention workforce to optimally plan, implement, integrate, and sustain high-impact HIV prevention interventions and strategies to reduce HIV infections and HIV-related morbidity, mortality, and health disparities across the United States and its territories.

Zimbabwe has a generalized HIV epidemic with an estimated 1.4 million people living with HIV (PLHIV). Adult prevalence aged 15-49 is 14.0%, down from 18.1% in 2015. Incidence among adults is 0.47%, and the 18-month mother to child transmission (MTCT) rate is 6.74%. However, testing, treatment, and viral suppression coverage all lag behind the 95-95-95 targets. Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) has highlighted human resource challenges across the continuum of service delivery.

This award will focus on strengthening HIV combination prevention within all correctional facilities in South Africa. Innovative combination prevention interventions will address HIV risk and increase protective behaviors among inmates, accompanied by voluntary medical male circumcision, and HIV Testing Services (HTS). The target populations include inmates, released individuals, and Department of Correctional Services (DCS) staff.

The goal of this NOFO is to improve performance of HIV and TB key indicators and programmatic areas by providing technical assistance (TA) using Quality Improvement (QI) methodologies to PEPFAR South Africa’s implementing partners (IPs) and the South African Government’s (SAG) National, Provincial, and District Departments of Health (DOH).

Access to quality assured diagnostics and laboratory services is critical to the effective diagnosis, treatment, and management of HIV and other HIV-related diseases, including TB. Achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets requires establishment and operationalization of laboratory and diagnostic networks.PEPFAR DRC supported laboratory and integrated diagnostic network strengthening efforts have led to improved access to the quality diagnostic and patient monitoring services. The data reports show improved viral load (VL) coverage from 27% to 56% in FY16 and FY17 and 75% suppression rate.

This NOFO will sustain and continue progress made through the previous CDC SI Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of this NOFO is to promote evidence-based decision making for an AIDS-Free generation by monitoring data quality at the site-level and collecting, analyzing and disseminating data at all levels.