The USAID Primary Health Care Improvement Program (UPHIP) aims to strengthen Nigeria's primary health care (PHC) system, improving access to and quality of care, particularly in maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and malaria services. With a total funding ceiling of $40 million over five years, UPHIP will be awarded as a cooperative agreement to one or more local Nigerian organizations. The program's initial period of performance is three years, with a possible two-year renewal contingent on progress assessments, continued funding, and USAID’s evaluation of the program’s outcomes. The renewal is based on performance indicators, including improved health facility capacity, reduced maternal and child mortality rates, increased immunization coverage, and reduced out-of-pocket health expenses for communities served.

This funding opportunity is limited to local Nigerian organizations, defined by USAID as entities legally established and primarily operating within Nigeria, with a governing body that is majority Nigerian. Eligible applicants may include nonprofit organizations, corporations, and faith-based organizations. Interested parties must submit one application per entity by November 15, 2024, and can attend an informational pre-application conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 23, 2024. Organizations new to USAID funding are encouraged to apply, with potential pre-award assessments for risk evaluation.

UPHIP’s strategy aligns with Nigeria's National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and USAID’s goal of strengthening health systems to support the continuum of care from community to PHC facilities. Program activities focus on reinforcing PHC infrastructure, ensuring skilled staffing, improving commodity availability, and enhancing data collection and use for health service decision-making. The program will collaborate with existing USAID initiatives and government agencies to ensure that technical assistance, training, and community engagement are contextually relevant and geographically tailored to maximize impact.

Program objectives include capacity building at various administrative levels to track health indicators, ensuring timely medical supply chain management, and establishing feedback systems for patient care. Additional objectives are to enhance community engagement and accountability, improve financial management for health facilities, and promote innovative healthcare solutions such as telemedicine. Gender integration is a priority, with specific attention to barriers that women and adolescents face in accessing healthcare services and the provision of gender-based violence prevention and response.

USAID will be actively involved in program oversight, including approving key personnel and implementation plans, monitoring compliance with performance targets, and halting activities if targets are unmet. Applicants must demonstrate robust monitoring and evaluation plans that align with USAID’s data collection and reporting standards. A multi-tiered monitoring approach will be used, with USAID staff, implementing partners, the Ministry of Health, and independent entities overseeing performance.

Prospective applicants should prepare comprehensive project plans that include measurable outcomes and strategies for scaling successful interventions across targeted regions. USAID emphasizes leveraging partnerships, innovative technologies, and sustainable financial practices to ensure that PHC facilities are well-equipped to handle both routine and emergency healthcare needs while fostering a resilient health system in Nigeria.