Duration

2019-2024

Key Partners

Central TB Division, MoHFW

Funder

USAID

Service

Grants For Specific Activities

The Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) is a USAID-funded project that aims to accelerate the country’s progress toward ending tuberculosis (TB). TIFA supports up to 24 USAID priority TB countries. The project is led by JSI Research & Training Institute with a core team operating out of Washington, USA. The project supports TB elimination activities by awarding TB Commitment Grants (TCGs) – which are fixed amount awards (FAAs) - grants or contracts to government entities, local and international NGOs, and private sector partners working in TB control and elimination.

In India, TIFA is led by a team supported by JSIPL through an agreement with JSI Research and Training Institute. TIFA-India initiated activities in the third quarter of 2021 and will continue until July 2024. It works closely with Central TB Division/NTEP and USAID/India to provide sub-awards that will assist the Government of India (GoI) in achieving a TB-free nation.

A total of 22 sub-awards (grants and contracts) have been awarded by TIFA India till date (November 2022). The sub-awards that are currently implemented are - Decentralizing pediatric TB care at the sub- district level through the capacity strengthening of block-level healthcare professionals and demonstrating a reliable sample referral, transportation and tracking mechanism between primary, secondary and tertiary level healthcare facilities. Demonstration of differentiated TB care guidance of NTEP through building a system of risk assessment, referral and intensify care of severely ill TB patients to reduce morbidity and mortality due to TB. Additionally, the evaluation of ACF, DBT, and robust estimation of TB mortality in India is also supported by TIFA.

Addressing Gaps and Challenges

  • New and creative analyses and solutions are needed to better understand obstacles to identifying and treating all TB cases in India. Working closely with the Central TB Division, TIFA provides sub-awards to potential grantees both public and private to test new interventions, demonstrate models for service provision to better meet the needs of at-risk populations, and study current NTEP approaches to understand challenges better and make recommendations for addressing them.
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Key Objectives

To provide effective/efficient mechanisms offering direct support to the government, NGOs, and private sector partners to implement catalytic activities responsive to NTEP’s goals.

To accelerate progress towards NTEP& 2017-25 strategic priorities towards achieving end TB goal in India by 2025.

To leverage and advocate for additional domestic resources for TB from the public and private sectors.

JSIPL’s Role in Implementing TIFA

JSIPL has been tasked with coordinating TIFA’s activities in India. TIFA is adaptive and enables USAID/India and JSI to be responsive to the GoI’s TB control and prevention strategy. TIFA is partnering closely with Central TB Division/NTEP to define priority topics for sub-awards. These range from strengthening mechanisms for private sector engagement in TB control, providing analysis and recommendations for improving direct benefit transfer schemes, generating evidence to understand the under-reporting of TB deaths, building demonstration models for latent TB treatment initiatives, and undertaking pediatric TB diagnostics, among many others. The TIFA-sub-award mechanism is adaptive and will enable USAID/India and JSI to be responsive to the Government of India’s needs while shifting and adjusting priorities as required.

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TIFA’s achievements in Year 1

  • Awarded grants and contracts to organizations to address critical gaps in the TB program, including updating the national Standards for TB Care, improving pediatric TB case finding, and enhancing timely care for severely ill TB patients.
  • TIFA sub-awards are being implemented in 95 districts spread across 21 states covering more than 150 million population.
  • Providing support in implementing Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) initiatives and raising awareness about TB and engaging with communities to be part of the larger TB Mukt Bharat - Jan Andolan movement through a social media agency.
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Looking Ahead

TIFA-India will support partners implementing existing TIFA awards to meet their milestones or achieve their deliverables to ensure the CTD/NTEP benefits from USAID’s investments.

TIFA-India will continue to partner with CTD and other key stakeholders to identify and fund additional priority interventions.