PEPFAR Investments in National Public Health Institutes: HIV Control Through Strong Systems.

Abstract

National public health institutes (NPHIs) are governmental institutions with a public health mandate, which often includes reference laboratories, surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, research, public health workforce, scientific communication to translate data into policy, and more. NPHIs are applying public health expertise to help end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, in coordination with other key stakeholders, including not just ministries of health but also national AIDS councils, bilateral and multilateral partners, the private sector, civil society, and others. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has invested in NPHIs to strengthen their HIV-related public health systems (eg, workforce development, accreditation of reference laboratories, improvement of infrastructure) and directly support targeted HIV activities (eg, national surveys, reference laboratory services, workforce training). Here, we highlight 2 examples of African NPHIs that have partnered with PEPFAR over the years (Mozambique and Zambia). PEPFAR's investments in NPHIs can leverage other investments in global health security.