RFP to provide TB IGRA testing for Programmatic Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in India

Project Overview 

India continues to bear the world’s highest Tuberculosis (TB) burden in terms of absolute numbers of incident TB cases. Further, an estimated 350M people in India are latently infected with TB and 4M new TB infections occur every year. 

Efforts of NTEP through interventions such as Joint Effort for elimination of TB (JEET ) have resulted in the country’s notifications to increase by 38% from 2017 to 2019. In order to achieve its 2025 TB elimination target, the country needs to dramatically increase detection and treatment of Latent TB Infection (LTBI). India’s National Strategic Plan 2017–2025 has set an ambitious target of 95% LTBI identified/eligible cases to be initiated on TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)

However, in 2018 less than 25% of children below 6 years and 17% of newly enrolled PLHIV had access to TPT. Low TPT coverage is mainly driven by inadequate household contact tracing (<40%) and inconsistent TB screening practices in ART clinics. Finally, as National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) scales up Patient Provider Support Agency (PPSAs) in over 100 districts through domestic funding, it is crucial that existing JEET (PPSAs) are seamlessly transitioned to the domestic funded agencies. A planned transition will ensure patients in these districts continue to get access to quality drugs and diagnostics in the post COVID-19 lockdown state. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on TB control services both in the public and private sector. While the domestic PPSAs transition has been planned, the stringent implementation of COVID-19 containment measures has had a lasting administrative and programmatic effect. To recover the gains made under JEET, the transition will ensure getting services back, transition to domestic, and minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuberculosis.

The project will accelerate NTEP’s progress towards TB elimination by improving the quality of care and increasing patients’ access to drugs and diagnostics through technology-driven interventions and partnerships with the private sector. Specifically, the project will address gaps in the LTBI care cascade, measure and improve quality of care across the cascade and build NTEP capacity with the following objectives: 

• To address the LTBI burden by establishing mechanisms for household contact tracing of adults and children in contact with PTB patients and ensuring access to quality care 

• To sustain and strengthen the gains under the JEET project and provide strategic and operational support to States in transitioning to domestically funded PPSAs (by December 2021) 

As part of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) mantra to “go where the patient goes”, the project will target household contacts of pulmonary TB (PTB) index cases. The project will engage private laboratories, pharmacies, logistics providers, and NTEP staff at the district, state, and national level to provide patients access to quality services.

OBJECTIVE 

William J Clinton Foundation invites proposal from vendors for TB IGRA testing for Programmatic Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in 6 districts of India. The districts are Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, Kachchh in Gujarat, Hisar In Haryana, Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, Pathanamthitta in Kerala. The proposal shall include per sample quote for providing the following service package as a whole:

Collection of blood samples from the residence of contacts for TB IGRA testing (QFT Plus) kits 

• Transportation of samples to the assigned laboratories for IGRA testing

• Testing of samples at the assigned laboratory for IGRA testing using QFT Plus test kits* • Reporting of samples within 96 hours from time of collection of sample to the assigned Project staff** 

Request for Proposal - Procurement Notice

William J. Clinton Foundation, New Delhi invites the selected agencies to submit proposals to provide TB IGRA testing for Programmatic Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in India

Summary of timelines:

RFP Number CHINDIHTPRO18-JEET-012

Release of Request for Proposals 7 th May 2021

Submission of queries on RFP and confirmation of interest due 23rd May 2021

Response to Queries/Clarifications 25th May 2021

Proposals due/last date & time of submission of proposal 31st May 2021

Financial Bid Opening of Bidders 2 nd June 2021

Communication to selected Bidder / Agency 11th June 2021

If your agency decides to submit a proposal in response to this RFP, please contact us confirming your interest in submitting a proposal, not later than 23rd May 2021 to the email address indiaadmin@clintonhealthacces.org . The proposal must be submitted electronically at the email ID indiaprocurement@clintonhealthaccess.org  latest by May 31, 2021 by 23:59 

For any queries on the RFP, kindly address your mail to: indiaadmin@clintonhealthaccess.org . Proposals received after the due date and any other email ID other than indiaprocurement@clintonhealthaccess.org  will not be considered. 

To know more, click here

Tags Others