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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 975-976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00078]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Notice of Award of a Single-Source Cooperative Agreement To Fund 
the Kinshasa School of Public Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo 
(KSPH, DRC)

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located 
within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the 
award of approximately $700,000, with an expected total funding of 
$3,500,000 over a five-year period, to the Kinshasa School of Public 
Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo (KSPH DRC). The award will 
support the investigation of the epidemiological, ecological, and 
anthropological aspects of monkeypox and assess clinical intervention 
strategies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These activities 
align with CDC priorities to promote surveillance and global health to 
prevent the international spread of diseases and to control them at the 
source.

DATES: The period for this award will be September 30, 2022, through 
September 29, 2027.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Amy Yang, National Center for HIV, 
Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS US8-1, Atlanta, GA 
30329-4027, Telephone: 404-718-8835, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This single-source award will support the 
investigation of the epidemiological, ecological, and anthropological 
aspects of monkeypox and assess clinical intervention strategies in the 
DRC. Research activities will focus on improvement and evaluation of 
lab-based surveillance systems, investigations of animal reservoirs and 
human behaviors at the human-animal interface, epidemiologic 
investigations, genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, risk 
mitigation, enhancing health communication strategies, and clinical 
evaluation of vaccines and therapeutic treatments. The research should 
provide the DRC Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders with 
evidence-based strategies to develop

[[Page 976]]

monkeypox and other zoonotic disease interventions.
    The Kinshasa School of Public Health, Democratic Republic of the 
Congo (KSPH, DRC) is in a unique position to conduct this work, as it 
has a distinct role in the public health system of DRC by being both an 
institute of the University of Kinshasa and previously serving as the 
bone fide agent of the Ministry of Health; is the implementing partner 
for an open label trial of JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine in the healthcare 
workers of Tshuapa Province (2017-present), a study that will continue 
under the new cooperative agreement; along with their partners at the 
University of Kinshasa, has 10 years of experience in conducting 
rigorous investigations of potential monkeypox reservoir species; and 
has continually maintained a field office in Tshuapa Province devoted 
to monkeypox surveillance and research since 2011. This longstanding 
commitment to working in this area has yielded the most thorough 
longitudinal dataset on monkeypox incidence globally since smallpox 
eradication. No other indigenous or foreign institution has been able 
to sustain a continual field site for this length of time in a 
monkeypox-endemic area of DRC.

Summary of the Award

    Recipient: The Kinshasa School of Public Health, Democratic 
Republic of the Congo (KSPH, DRC).
    Purpose of the Award: The purpose of this award is to investigate 
the epidemiological, ecological, and anthropological aspects of 
monkeypox and assess clinical intervention strategies in the Democratic 
Republic of Congo (DRC). This research may extend to other zoonotic and 
vaccine-preventable diseases that are of importance in the DRC and 
elsewhere.
    Amount of Award: $700,000 in Federal Fiscal Year (FYY) 2022 funds, 
and an estimated $700,000 for each subsequent 12-month budget period 
over five years, subject to availability of funds.
    Authority: This program is authorized under Public Health Service 
Act, Sections 301(a) [42 U.S.C. 241(a)] and 307 [42 U.S.C. 242l].
    Period of Performance: September 30, 2022, through September 29, 
2027.

    Dated: January 4, 2022.
Terrance Perry,
Chief Grants Management Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2022-00078 Filed 1-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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