Get Funding to Boost HIV/AIDS Care & Diagnostics

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to build laboratory capacity and improve the provision of HIV, TB, and sexually transmitted infections/ opportunistic infections (STI/OI) testing activities and disease monitoring to scale up HIV/AIDS prevention and care and treatment programs. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is intended to enhance the four recognized pillars of the Lesotho National Laboratory Strategic Plan (NLSP 2013/4-2018/19) : accessibility, reliability, affordability, and sustainability of laboratory services. The project will support the provision of quality laboratory services as an integral element of the HIV/AIDS prevention and care and treatment programs. The activities include strengthening of referral testing and networking of laboratories, point of care testing (POCT), laboratory quality improvement initiatives, laboratory equipment and supply chain management, and laboratory information and data management system.

The major outcomes of the activities of this FOA include: increased access to diagnosis and disease monitoring through referral testing, decentralization and scale up point of care testing; improved laboratory equipment and supply management system; strengthened quality management system (QMS) at all levels and facilities, including making sure a national accreditation and certification system is in place; establishing the national laboratory and data base systems; and developing local capacity to meet the national HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment targets.