Strengthening Public Health Systems to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Infectious Diseases in Cambodia under the Global Health Security Agenda | CDC RFA GH20 2089

Opportunity Information: Apply for CDC RFA GH20 2089

The grant opportunity titled "Strengthening Public Health Systems to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Infectious Diseases in Cambodia under the Global Health Security Agenda" (Funding Opportunity Number CDC RFA GH20 2089) is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement designed to help Cambodia build stronger national capacity to manage infectious disease threats. The program is framed around the Global Health Security Agenda and is explicitly aligned with Cambodia's commitments under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, which set global expectations for countries to develop core capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies. In practical terms, the opportunity focuses on reinforcing Cambodia's health security in a way that benefits not only the Cambodian population, but also regional and global preparedness, given how quickly outbreaks can cross borders.

A central goal of the NOFO is to improve the quality and performance of public health surveillance, laboratory, and emergency response systems under the Cambodian Ministry of Health. The premise is that strong surveillance and reliable laboratory confirmation are the backbone of outbreak detection and control: surveillance identifies unusual events or rising trends, laboratories verify the cause, and emergency response systems coordinate timely actions to limit spread. The CDC notes that these investments are essential for Cambodia to reach and sustain IHR 2005 core capacities, emphasizing that capacity at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and within the Ministry of Health structures responsible for disease control is critical to delivering the core components required under the IHR framework.

The opportunity highlights several concrete outcomes that define what success looks like. One of the most prominent is for the National Institute of Public Health Laboratory (NIPHL) to achieve and maintain ISO accreditation, signaling internationally recognized quality management and technical competence. ISO accreditation is not just a badge; it typically requires standardized procedures, documented quality systems, proficiency testing, corrective actions, equipment maintenance, staff competency tracking, and continual improvement processes. By meeting these standards, the national laboratory can produce results that are more accurate, more consistent, and more trusted by clinicians and public health decision-makers, which directly improves the effectiveness of outbreak investigations and routine disease monitoring.

Beyond the national level, the NOFO stresses the expansion of NIPHL support to provincial laboratories. This reflects an understanding that outbreaks often begin and are first detected locally, so the overall system is only as strong as its subnational nodes. Strengthening provincial labs generally involves improving specimen collection and referral networks, biosafety and biosecurity practices, quality assurance, staff training, standardized testing protocols, and data reporting practices. The intent is to raise the quality of laboratory systems across the country, reduce delays in diagnosis, and create a more reliable pipeline of laboratory data that can feed into surveillance and response decisions.

Another key emphasis is the use of laboratory and surveillance results to improve programming and to guide the development and strengthening of an antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance system. AMR surveillance is increasingly treated as a health security priority because resistant infections can spread within communities and healthcare settings, complicate outbreak response, and undermine routine clinical care. The NOFO indicates that the grant should help Cambodia use evidence from lab testing and surveillance to better design interventions, track resistance patterns, and link findings to actionable response measures. In the same vein, strengthening infectious disease outbreak response is called out as a major objective, implying improvements in preparedness planning, coordination mechanisms, and the ability to rapidly investigate and contain outbreaks when they occur.

From an administrative perspective, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the CDC (Agency component listed as CDC - CGH) and uses a cooperative agreement funding instrument. A cooperative agreement typically means the funder expects substantial involvement during implementation, such as technical collaboration, joint planning, or ongoing performance engagement, rather than a more hands-off grant structure. The CFDA listing is 93.318, and the opportunity anticipated a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1). The notice was created on May 1, 2020, with an original closing date of July 1, 2020, and required electronic submission by 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text, suggesting that the applicant pool may be limited or specialized and would need to be confirmed in the complete NOFO.

Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building durable, standards-based public health infrastructure in Cambodia, with laboratories and surveillance at the core, and with explicit deliverables tied to international benchmarks like IHR 2005 capacities and ISO-accredited national lab operations. The intended impact is a more resilient system that can identify threats earlier, confirm them more accurately, and respond more effectively, including for emerging outbreaks and the longer-term challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control - CGH in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Strengthening Public Health Systems to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Infectious Diseases in Cambodia under the Global Health Security Agenda" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.318.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 01, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 01, 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).

Apply for CDC RFA GH20 2089

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