Support Ethiopia's Capacity to Meet International Health Regulations Requirements

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its Global Health Center (GHC), is forecasting a cooperative agreement opportunity titled “Support Ethiopia's Capacity to Meet International Health Regulations Requirements.” The CDC has been active in Ethiopia since 2001, fostering a strong collaboration with the country’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and other governmental agencies to build local capacity in public health systems. This initiative aligns with the Global Health Security Agenda and focuses on achieving targets set by the International Health Regulations (IHR), a framework established to enhance global public health response capabilities. The purpose of this grant is to continue and expand support for Ethiopia’s public health infrastructure so that it can better detect, respond to, and manage disease outbreaks. Since 2015, multi-sectoral collaboration has led to significant progress, including the training of over 500 field epidemiologists, the activation of a national public health emergency operations center, and the enhancement of diagnostic and surveillance capacities. The current funding opportunity aims to build on the foundation laid during the 2020–2025 CDC-led projects under the Global Health Security Framework. The key focus areas for this cooperative agreement include Laboratory systems, Workforce Development, Surveillance, Emergency Response and Management, Antimicrobial Resistance, Immunization, and strengthening of Health Information Systems. The initiative emphasizes strategic empowerment of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) to independently manage public health threats and ensure compliance with international health standards. Although cost sharing or matching is not required, the opportunity will fund a limited number of awardees—three are expected—under a total program funding ceiling of $25 million. Specific award ceilings and floors have not been established as of the forecast notice, signaling that details will be confirmed in the full NOFO upon release. The cooperative agreement structure indicates a high level of engagement and oversight from CDC throughout the performance period. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on March 20, 2026. The estimated post date for the official opportunity is January 19, 2026. Awards are anticipated by August 31, 2026, with project start dates set for September 30, 2026. While there are no pre-application requirements such as LOIs or concept papers mentioned, applicants are encouraged to ensure timely registration in Grants.gov and familiarize themselves with CDC’s grant submission procedures. For inquiries, applicants may contact Broderick Yoerg at 404.234.0666 or via email at DGHPNOFOs@cdc.gov. This funding opportunity is forecasted to recur annually, suggesting a strategic long-term engagement by CDC with Ethiopia on health security capacity building.