CDC Issues NOFO to Strengthen Syringe Services Programs

CDC is working to increase access to harm reduction services for people who currently inject or have a history of injecting drugs, and to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases and other complications of injection drug use. Last week, CDC announced a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Strengthening Syringe Services Programs (CDC-RFA-PS22-2208).

This NOFO has two components:

1. To expand a national network of syringe services programs (SSPs) to facilitate communication among SSPs, other harm reduction programs, and trusted national organizations with a demonstrated portfolio in improving the health of persons who use drugs. This component will also improve data about SSPs by conducting an annual survey of SSPs to document capacity, needs, access, and service gaps.
2. To increase support and resources to SSPs for implementation of syringe distribution and disposal; testing, treatment, and prevention of infectious complications of drug use; and mitigation of other harms due to drug use.

Through this and other programs, CDC is working to enhance and expand harm reduction services, leading to reductions in new viral hepatitis infections, other infectious complications of injection drug use, and overdose deaths.

Please share information about this funding opportunity with others. For more information, visit our website and Grants.gov.

Note: The National HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2022-2025 calls for expanding and improving implementation of safe, effective prevention interventions, including treatment as prevention, PrEP, PEP, and SSPs in order to prevent new HIV infections. In addition, the Prevent pillar of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative calls for preventing new HIV transmissions by using proven interventions, including PrEP and SSPs.