CDC-GHC: Strengthening Botswana’s National Health Data Systems for a Sustainable and Government-led HIV/TB

You are expected to support the GOB to enhance health facility, district, and national data systems through focus on:

• Data governance and policies.
• Capacity building for data management.
• System functionality, interoperability, availability, quality, and data use.

Purpose

• The purpose of this NOFO is to support GOB capacity for a sustainable and government-led response to HIV and related public health threats through improved workforce development, data governance, system functionality, interoperability, and use. This NOFO aims to sustain progress beyond the targets by focusing on optimizing surveillance systems, digital health integration, and data analytics to ensure reliable, quality, and evidence-based data for decision-making and reporting.

Focus Areas

• This NOFO focuses on the following strategies:
  • Improving data governance and policies: Ensuring high-quality, accessible, and secure data for decision-making at all levels.
  • Strengthening M&E capacities: Enhancing the capacity of government institutions in M&E, digital health, and analytics for a sustainable, government-led HIV response.
  • Enhancing system functionality and interoperability: Strengthening the health information exchange framework and upgrading IT infrastructure including but not limited to hardware, software, networking, and storage to improve integration and functionality of health data systems.
  • Leveraging digital health solutions and advanced analytics: Integrating clinical data with innovative digital health solutions, modernization efforts, and advanced analytics to improve patient outcomes and inform policy decisions.
  • Strengthening surveillance and response capabilities: Optimizing detection and response to new HIV infections, monitoring drug resistance, and refining central reporting requirements in alignment with national priorities. Strengthening case-based surveillance and other surveillance activities will enhance GOB’s ability to respond effectively to public health events.
  • Supporting a government-led HIV program: As Botswana fully transitions to a government-led HIV response, this NOFO emphasizes using national systems for program accountability and community engagement, ensuring sustainability. This will contribute to the alignment of national health priorities and international reporting requirements.

Funding Information

• Expected total NOFO funding for Year 1: $4,000,000
• They plan to award projects for five 12-month budget periods for a five-year period of performance.

Eligible Activities

• You are also expected to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to support the GOB to ensure that comprehensive, quality HIV-related health data systems operate effectively at the facility, district, and national levels through the following strategic activities:
  • Strengthen monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacities within GOB, including data availability and reporting, quality, analytics, interpretation, and use at facility, district, and national levels.
  • Enhance health informatics functionality, data security, infrastructure, and health data exchange across systems to improve patient outcomes and inform health policy and programming.
  • Strengthen capacities of the GOB to conduct surveillance activities, including but not limited to clinical, population-level, and key populations. This will help to prevent, respond, and control HIV/TB and related public health threats, under the International Health Regulation (IHR) 2005 framework across all administrative levels.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any and all types of organizations are eligible and encouraged to apply, including but not limited to those listed.
  • State governments.
  • County governments.
  • City or township governments.
  • Special district governments.
  • Independent school districts.
  • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
  • Native American tribal governments (federally recognized).
  • Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities.
  • Native American tribal organizations, other than federally recognized tribal governments.
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education.
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education. Private institutions of higher education.
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses.
  • Small businesses.
  • Foreign or non-U.S. based entities.

Evaluation Criteria

• In your application, include at least one, but no more than three potential evaluation questions. They will expect you to conduct a mid-term and end-term evaluation:
  • Extent to which the data governance policy has been adhered to by all users of public health data systems in the country: process evaluation.
  • Extent to which the collaboration between GOB and stakeholders has led to alignment of health information systems initiatives with national health strategies and sustainable government-led responses: process evaluation. Extent to which integration and interoperability of health information systems have contributed to improved patient outcomes and efficiency of healthcare delivery: outcome evaluation.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.