The US Agency for International Development, Bureau for Global Health, Office of Health Systems has a requirement for the Integrated Health Systems Strengthening Activity.

To achieve sustainable and resilient health systems requires localized and context-specific approaches to health system strengthening (HSS) that are built upon high-quality global HSS evidence and coordination. These investments operationalize USAID’s Vision for HSS 2030, and serve as the foundation for sustainable progress in the Bureau for Global Health’s priority areas of preventing child and maternal deaths; controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic; and combating infectious diseases.

As a global leader in health systems, USAID’s HSS investments are key to advancing Universal Health Coverage, primary health care,1 pandemic preparedness and global health security, and climate resilience. Effective HSS collaboration and learning, impact measurement, implementation support, and capacity building are all critical to advancing global health and development goals and sustainably improving health outcomes.

• This global flagship project is intended to meet current needs in the field of health system strengthening (HSS), which is dynamic and evolving
• COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of strong and resilient health systems, bringing renewed attention to the importance of health systems investments; and there is increasing interest in integrated HSS programming as a cornerstone of advancing primary health care that aligns with country priorities, as an effective approach to sustaining improved health outcomes
• Technical assistance needs from both USAID Missions and partner countries are expected to continue to expand as the implementation of HSS activities, and country requests for support in this area, increase
• USAID has a particular interest in strengthening integrated HSS activities that work across health areas to address common system barriers and strengthen system-wide performance to promote sustainable improvements in health outcomes
• This includes activities to promote financial protection, efficiency, and affordability of health services in general; ensure the quality or availability of an essential package of prevention, promotion, treatment, and care services; enhance equitable access to priority services by under-served, marginalized, and other high priority groups; and ensure responsiveness to community expectations
• The Agency recognizes that further progress in reaching health outcomes requires simultaneous and collaborative health system improvements driven by multi-faceted HSS approaches. Specific investment areas will be refined, including through consideration of responses to this RFI, but are currently anticipated to include innovative country-led implementation, global technical leadership and collaboration, and adaptive learning, research, and evidence
• This design would strengthen technical collaboration on key HSS topics, such as (but not limited to) health financing, the health workforce, health system resilience, multi-sectoral integration, locally led implementation, and others