Draft SOW for Zambia Nutrition Assessment, Counseling and Support (ZAMNACS)

I. Purpose This is a Draft Statement of Work for comments. USAID is not receiving proposals at the moment. USAID/Zambia's HIV/AIDS office (AO9) requests proposals to implement the Zambia Nutrition Assessment, Counseling and Support (ZAMNACS) project. This contract supports the delivery of a Nutrition Assessment, Counseling and Support (NACS) for HIV-positive individuals as well as Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). USAID/Zambia envisions, subject to the availability of funds a total investment of approximately $10 to $15 million over a five year period. The primary purpose of the ZAMNACS project is to promote good nutrition and prevent malnutrition in adults and children enrolled in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment programs and at-risk OVC clients. The secondary focus is to improve the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and palliative care clients' outcomes by providing NACS in these target populations including prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and OVC clients at clinical and community levels. Given current levels of coverage for treatment and care in Zambia ZAMNACS is not expected to cover all clinical and/or community sites. Rather ZAMNACS will provide overall training and show "proof of concept" for new interventions utilizing the NACS approach along with locally available commodities. It is expected that other projects and programs will then use these concepts to improve coverage across the country. The Offeror will assure the capacity and delivery of both the constellation of nutrition services and nutrition product interventions. The project will also contribute to the United States Government's (USG's) goal of improving health outcomes, increasing local ownership and sustainability and integration, and strengthening the Government of the Republic of Zambia's (GRZ's) health system in supporting the vision of a, "Nation free from the threat of HIV and AIDS." In order to continue the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) support in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, this five-year project will addresses some of the growing nutritional needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV) as well as OVC. The project will also contribute to USAID/Zambia's objective of mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS by providing NACS as one of the standards of care for PLHIV within HIV/AIDS services. By the end of the project, a proof of concept document on cost-effectiveness with clear, proven and targeted methodology of NACS will be developed for a national scale-up within the GRZ health system including an approach how to develop/procure, distribute and sustain therapeutic and supplemental food product support to PLHIV as well as OVC. In addition, the Offeror will include partnerships and other activities from the Feed the Feature (FTF) and Global Health Initiatives (GHIs), including potentially accepting additional resources provided by these initiatives in an effort to leverage and generate interest and other sources of funding to enhance the activities in nutrition.