OpportunityTitle: Developing a Regional Public Health Surveillance and Laboratory Network for Central America with the Secretar&#237;a General del Sistema de la Integraci&#243;n Centroamericana (SG-SICA) / Consejo de Ministros de Salud de Centroam&#233;rica (COMISCA)
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Assistance will be provided only to the Secretar&#237;a General del Sistema de la Integraci&#243;n Centroamericana (SG-SICA) / Consejo de Ministros de Salud de Centroam&#233;rica (COMISCA). No other applications are solicited. SG-SICA/COMISCA is the most appropriate and qualified agency to conduct the activities specified under this cooperative agreement because:  1. SG-SICA/COMISCA is the entity that represents all of the Ministers of Health of Central America. It is both a political and a technical entity. SG-SICA/COMISCA is uniquely positioned, in terms of legal authority and support from all Ministries of Health in Central America, to collaborate with CDC-Central America and Panama (CAP) to enhance sustainable public health surveillance and laboratory networks in the region.   2. As such, the SG-SICA/COMISCA can easily work with all of the Ministries of Health of the Central America region in a way that no other entity can. The Ministers of Health of eight countries have agreed to support the development of a shared information platform which will be managed by the SG-SICA/COMISCA. No other entity in the region has this capacity.   3. The Ministers have authorized SG-SICA/COMISCA to coordinate a regional response to the influenza pandemic - no other entity has such authorization.   4. SG-SICA/COMISCA has experience executing a large public health project financed by the World Bank that was focused on training and laboratory strengthening related to HIV-AIDS. The World Bank is satisfied with the execution of this project and is discussing financing a second phase to continue their work.  5. As the entity that represents the Central American Ministers of Health, SG-SICA/COMISCA is the only organization in the region that has the authority to develop plans for regional public health networks including surveillance and laboratory.   6. SG-SICA/COMISCA is the only entity that can pass funds to the Central American Ministries of Health and can contract personnel for the Ministries of Health.  7. SG-SICA/COMISCA has the political authority necessary to call for regional meetings, and since it has been doing this for years it also has the administrative capacity needed. SG-SICA/COMISCA is the only organization able to function in this capacity as they are actually mandated by the multiple Ministries of Health to do so.  8. SG-SICA/COMISCA has a fiscal management system in place that is unique within the region in that their financial records (consisting of funds from all eight Ministries of Health from each of the eight countries) for all of their activities are audited by an independent third-party organization.  9. SG-SICA/COMISCA has demonstrated previous success both programmatically and establishing public health policy by brokering an agreement (the Integration Treaty for Central America) between all eight Central American countries to have a uniform list of 36 different medications that can be used to treat several fundamental  health concerns within the region. No other entity in Central America has the capability to issue multi-lateral agreements of this nature that reflects an agreement between not only Ministers of Health, but also the Presidents of each of the countries in Central America; other public health entities are only able to provide recommendations for action.  10. SG-SICA/COMISCA has established, and coordinates, multiple subject matter expert groups (e.g., medical services, surveillance, HIV/AIDS, etc.) that are considered to be an authoritative voice by all eight countries in Central America.  11. SG-SICA/COMISCA has established a five year plan for public health in Central America that has been formulated and agreed upon by all eight Ministers of Health in the region; the activities in this plan directly coincide with CDC-CAP&#146;s public health initiatives.  12. Because of their unique position, both politically and programmatically, in the region, the US Secretary for Health has signed a Letter of Inte
Description: This program addresses the &#147;Healthy People 2010&#148; focus area(s) of Health Communication; HIV; Immunization and Infectious Diseases; Public Health Infrastructure; Respiratory Diseases; and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and is in alignment with HHS/CDC performance goal(s) to protect Americans from infectious diseases by providing global health promotion, health protection and health diplomacy.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: GENERAL EMAIL
GrantorContactText: PGO TIMS &lt;br/&gt;grants &lt;br/&gt;Phone 770-488-2700