Strengthen the Capacity of Republican Narcology Center of Kyrgyzstan on Practical Applications of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Programs under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) | CDC RFA GH20 2127

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH20 2127

This funding opportunity, titled "Strengthen the Capacity of Republican Narcology Center of Kyrgyzstan on Practical Applications of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Programs under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)," is a CDC cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number: CDC RFA GH20 2127) focused on improving HIV-related outcomes among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Kyrgyzstan by expanding and strengthening Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services. It sits under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (specifically CGH), and is categorized as discretionary health funding under CFDA 93.067. The program is designed as a single award (Expected Awards: 1), indicating CDC planned to fund one primary recipient to lead or coordinate the work described.

The core purpose of the NOFO is to build the capacity of Kyrgyzstan's Republican Narcology Center (RNC) to deliver practical, higher-quality MAT programming and to connect MAT more directly to HIV treatment and tuberculosis (TB) services. In practical terms, the CDC is aiming for MAT to function not just as a standalone substance use intervention, but as a key entry point and retention tool for HIV care among PWID, a population that often faces barriers to consistent treatment due to stigma, legal issues, unstable living situations, and co-occurring health needs. The overarching health goals are threefold: increase access to and quality of MAT for PWID; increase enrollment and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLHIV) within PWID communities; and ultimately raise viral suppression rates among these patients. The emphasis on viral suppression reflects the broader HIV strategy of reducing illness and deaths while also lowering onward HIV transmission.

A major component of the opportunity is improving how services connect across the health system. The NOFO highlights strengthening promotion and active linkage pathways so that PWID who are already seen at ART and TB sites are proactively referred and connected to MAT services rather than left to navigate the system on their own. Beyond referral, the opportunity also stresses expanding integrated service delivery, meaning more coordinated or co-located MAT and ART services where patients can more easily receive addiction treatment and HIV care together. This integration is intended to reduce drop-off between programs, improve adherence to ART, and stabilize patients through evidence-based treatment for opioid dependence, which in turn supports better HIV outcomes.

The opportunity explicitly includes expansion of MAT for PWID in prison settings, recognizing that incarceration is a frequent touchpoint for PWID and a setting where continuity of care is often disrupted. Supporting MAT in prisons can reduce withdrawal and relapse, lower overdose risk after release, and create a pathway into sustained treatment and HIV care in the community. In addition, the NOFO calls for targeted demand creation for MAT, which generally refers to outreach, education, and other strategies to increase acceptance and uptake of MAT among PWID, families, providers, and communities. This demand-side focus matters in contexts where misinformation about MAT, fear of registration or surveillance, stigma, and concerns about law enforcement can reduce willingness to enroll even when services exist.

Funding details reflect a somewhat unusual presentation in the posted fields: the "Award Ceiling for Year 1" is listed as 0 (none), while CDC simultaneously anticipated an approximate total fiscal year funding amount of $500,000 for Year 1, contingent on funds being available. Read plainly, the listing suggests CDC planned to make about one award at roughly that level in the first year, but did not set a formal per-award cap in the ceiling field. The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically means CDC expected to have substantial involvement beyond simply issuing funds, such as providing technical guidance, collaboration on implementation approaches, and ongoing performance monitoring.

Key administrative details include a creation date of February 21, 2020, and an original closing date of April 21, 2020. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Eligibility is broadly labeled as "Others," with the specific eligibility criteria referenced as being described in the opportunity's additional eligibility text (not included in the excerpt). Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted PEPFAR-supported effort to strengthen national MAT leadership and implementation through the Republican Narcology Center, while simultaneously improving HIV treatment uptake, retention, and viral suppression among PWID by integrating addiction treatment with ART and TB services and extending coverage to prison populations.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthen the Capacity of Republican Narcology Center of Kyrgyzstan on Practical Applications of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Programs under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.067.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 21, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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