OIG Monthly Work Plan Review: November 2018

This month, there were six new Work Plan items, two of which have implications for at least some labs.

1. CDC’s Oversight of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Funds

Issue: Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has altered the course of the global acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, saving millions of lives, improving the lives of countless others, and preventing millions of infections around the world. CDC received more than $1.7 billion of fiscal year 2017 PEPFAR funds (about 97% of the funds received by HHS) to accelerate progress toward achieving an AIDS-free generation and create a lasting infrastructure that allows partner countries to respond to a range of health challenges and threats.

OIG Action: To date, OIG has conducted a series of PEPFAR audits at CDC in five countries in Africa, North America, and Asia. OIG’s oversight of PEPFAR has helped CDC and other HHS staff learn important grant and program integrity lessons that apply to ongoing and future responses to infectious diseases. In previous audits of CDC offices in the United States and foreign countries, OIG identified noncompliance with policies, inadequate monitoring of grantees, and internal control weaknesses in the award of PEPFAR funds. OIG will now determine whether CDC has taken corrective action to ensure it has improved and implemented internal controls, including adhering to policies and procedures for awarding and monitoring PEPFAR funds.

2. Grantees’ Use of President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Funds

Issue: In more than 60 countries, grantees of the CDC, such as ministries of health and other partners, work to control the spread of AIDS. In fiscal year 2017, CDC awarded more than $1.5 billion in PEPFAR funds to accelerate progress toward achieving an AIDS-free generation and create a lasting infrastructure that allows partner countries to respond to a range of health challenges and threats.

OIG Action: To date, OIG has conducted a series of PEPFAR audits of grantees in eight countries in Africa and Asia. OIG’s PEPFAR oversight has helped grantees learn important grant and program integrity lessons that apply to ongoing and future responses to infectious diseases. In previous audits of foreign PEPFAR grantees, OIG identified unallowable expenditures and internal control weaknesses. OIG will now determine whether selected foreign and domestic grantees managed PEPFAR funds in accordance with award requirements.