Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Project Cooperative Agreement No. 7200AA19CA00002

President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to achieve and maintain epidemic control through strategic technical assistance to improve HIV prevention, case finding, care, and treatment programming in PEPFAR-supported countries. EpiC has four objectives focused on filling existing HIV prevention, case-finding, and treatment gaps, and on building long-term sustainability to attain and maintain epidemic control. The project has four main objectives: to attain and maintain HIV epidemic control among at-risk adult men, women, and priority populations; to attain and maintain HIV epidemic control among key populations; to improve program management, including health information systems and human resources for health, to ensure attainment and maintenance of epidemic control; and to support the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners to meet the PEPFAR goal of 70% of funding to local partners by 2020. EpiC is organized into four funding streams: Headquarters Bridge Funding (HBF), Collaboration for HIV Prevention Options to Control the Epidemic (CHOICE), Key Population Investment Fund (KPIF), and Sustainable Financing Initiative (SFI). The project is also supported by field support reports, which provide updates on mitigation of the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19), program management, gender compliance, environmental compliance, and Family Planning Compliance and Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA). As of March 31, 2021, EpiC was active through field support funding in 28 countries, with six countries having LINKAGES activities in fiscal year (FY) 2019, which were transitioned to EpiC on October 1, 2020. The project received COVID-19 specific funding for 23 countries and cross-cutting support. KPIF funds for the FY20 and FY21 period target 10 countries and two regions. The EpiC project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, including the attainment of HIV epidemic control among key populations and the improvement of program management and financial systems. The project has also supported the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners, with a goal of 70% of funding to local partners by 2020. In terms of specific activities, EpiC has implemented decentralized drug distribution of antiretroviral therapy, community-led monitoring systems, and PrEP scale-up through CHOICE. The project has also implemented global going online support for HIV programs to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and has conducted virtual community dialogues to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on HIV programs for key populations. The project has also made significant progress in HIV self-testing, with over 1 million HIV self-tests distributed in 2020. The project has also implemented multimonth dispensing for children living with HIV, with over 10,000 children receiving multimonth dispensing in 2020. Overall, the EpiC project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives and has contributed to the attainment of HIV epidemic control in PEPFAR-supported countries. The project continues to work towards its objectives, with a focus on building long-term sustainability and supporting the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners.