Building capacity along the HIV continuum in the Central America (CA) region under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced a forecasted cooperative agreement opportunity titled "Building capacity along the HIV continuum in the Central America (CA) region under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)." This funding opportunity aims to strengthen the capacity of public health institutions and healthcare providers in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to address critical gaps in HIV prevention, care, and treatment. The initiative is grounded in the global 95-95-95 targets, which seek to end AIDS as a public health threat by ensuring that 95 percent of individuals with HIV are diagnosed, 95 percent of those diagnosed are receiving sustained treatment, and 95 percent of those treated achieve viral suppression. The program will focus on integrating HIV services into broader health systems while fostering self-reliance among participating ministries and organizations. One of the key strategies will be scaling up access to life-saving services for populations at high risk of HIV infection through existing surveillance and control frameworks, particularly the VICITS/CLAM strategy for sexually transmitted infections. Another core objective is to expand access to HIV testing by promoting active case-finding strategies. These include outreach to priority populations, index testing, provider-initiated testing, community-based testing, and self-testing initiatives. Additionally, the program emphasizes strengthening early initiation of treatment, ensuring patient retention and adherence, and providing comprehensive management of advanced HIV disease, tuberculosis, and opportunistic infections. It will also enhance access to diagnostic and monitoring tools such as CD4 counts and viral load suppression monitoring. The initiative further supports differentiated service delivery models and complementary site-level services, while promoting sustainable systems by building the capacity of healthcare workers and ministries of health to maintain and continuously improve service quality. The CDC anticipates awarding approximately two cooperative agreements under this notice, with an estimated total fiscal year 2026 program funding of $20,000,000 for Year 1, subject to availability of funds. While the official notice indicates an award ceiling and floor of zero, this appears to be a placeholder for forecasting purposes, as the description clarifies that $20,000,000 will be allocated. Funding is expected to begin on September 30, 2026, coinciding with the estimated award and project start date. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S.-based entities such as state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; Native American tribal governments and organizations; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; public housing authorities; and both small and other for-profit organizations. The eligibility criteria are broad, allowing for diverse participation from academic, governmental, nonprofit, and private sector entities. The estimated posting date for the full funding opportunity is December 2, 2025, with applications due by February 17, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The estimated award date and project start date are both set for September 30, 2026. This is a forecasted opportunity, meaning applicants should monitor updates as the opportunity progresses to its official release. Interested organizations can contact the CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB (DGHT) at pepfarfoas@cdc.gov for further information.