WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a five-year grant, Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector, to Abt Associates Inc. Sub-recipients under the grant are Banyan Global, Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International, the Monitor Group, and O'Hanlon Health Consulting, LLC. The $95 million grant will build upon USAID's decades of support for and leadership in private health sector programming, and on the work of its predecessor projects, Private Sector Partnerships-One (PSP-One) and Banking on Health.

The grant will increase the role of the private sector in programs that address family planning (FP)/reproductive health (RH), HIV/AIDS, and other health information, products, and services.

"Many developing countries are plagued by inadequate financial resources, poor infrastructure and facilities, and severe shortages of trained medical personnel which don't allow countries to provide the most basic healthcare services required for their populations," said Dr. Scott Radloff, USAID's director of Population and Reproductive Health. "Engaging and supporting the private health sector in developing countries complements, and will allow for, the expansion of public sector health services to address those with the greatest need."

Increasing private sector involvement to serve those who can pay for private health services, drugs and health products will free up public sector resources to better serve low-income populations. To achieve this goal, the project will strengthen global support for private sector involvement in family planning and reproductive health products and services through advancing knowledge and understanding of the benefits the private sector brings.

Grantees will work to improve access to contraceptives by engaging generic contraceptive manufacturers, increase private sector provision of long-acting and permanent methods of contraception, test new models for social marketing, and work with financial institutions to expand lending to health providers.

In addition to family planning and reproductive health activities, the grant will respond to other USAID needs, including HIV/AIDS, child survival, maternal health, infectious diseases, nutrition, and environmental health, and may receive funding from all accounts.

For more information about USAID, please visit www.usaid.gov.