Procurement Office, US Agency for International Development, REDSO/ESA Unit 64102 -- Nairobi, APO AE 09831-4102

G -- COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT(S) WITH PVOS/NGOS REGISTERED WITH USAID TO CARRY OUT AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM IN VULNERABLE ZONES OF TULEAR, MORONDAVA, AND ANTANANARIVO SOL RFA 623-98-A-021 DUE 051398 POC Contact Point: Kenneth LuePhang, Regional Contracting Officer, tel: 254-2-751-613, Fax: 254-2-748-607, (Nairobi, Kenya), E-mail: kluephang@usaid.gov USAID/Madagascar through the Regional Contracting Officer in Nairobi, REDSO/ESA, plans to issue a request for application (RFA) to contribute to the achievement the strategic objective no. 2 (So2), smaller, healthier families, results package #3(rp3): aids prevention . Activities under rp#3 are intended to decrease the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including hiv, among high risk populations in vulnerable zones of Tulear, Morondava, and Antananarivo. USAID anticipates awarding a total of $1 million for two or more technical assistance cooperative agreements to international USAID-registered ngos/pvos, preferably with an existing local presence, to support activities in these target zones over a 2 year period. The cooperative agreement(s) will focus on strengthening technical and management systems and building capacities of key public and private sector organizations to provide quality HIV/AIDS-STI awareness, prevention, and syndromic treatment in Madagascar's vulnerable zones. USAID is providing a public international organization grant to unicef to undertake the same activities in the vulnerable zones in Diego Suarez, Tamatave, and Ile Ste Marie. Madagascar national syndromic protocols have only recently been issued. The recommended sti case management approach includes: (1) rapid diagnosis and treatment of the patient; (2) education of the patient as to compliance with the treatment; (3) messages on prevention of STI/HIV; (4) promotion of condoms; (5) case management of sexual partners. The USAID so#2, rp#3 strategy to decrease the spread of sti, including HIV, is to follow this case management approach and to support three key interventions most appropriate to a country with high sti prevalence and low HIV prevalence: (a) condom social marketing; (b) behavior change communication (bcc); and (c) sti prevention and treatment. Recipients of cooperative agreements will be expected to work closely with somarc to assure availability of condoms in the target zones; undertake bcc among high risk groups in their target zones to reduce risky behaviors and promote condom use; and work with public and private organizations operating in their respective zones to improve case management. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" Floppy disk (wordperfect 5.1/5.2 Format). This cbd notice can be viewed and downloaded using the agency web site. The rfa, once issued, can be downloaded from the agency web site. The worldwide web address is http://www.Info.Usaid.Gov. Select business and procurement opportunities from the home page, then "USAID procurement." On the following screen, select downloaded Available USAID Solicitations." Receipt of this rfa through internet must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0079)

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