Consultant recherché par l’OMS pour le diagnostic du paludisme et l’assurance qualité des laboratoires au Congo-Brazzaville.
L’OMS recrute un Consultant – Diagnostic du paludisme / Assurance qualité des laboratoires, Congo-Brazzaville
Purpose of the consultancy
Please briefly describe why the work is needed and the context.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the home of malaria, and it is a significant health and development challenge. It accounts for an average annual reduction of 1.3% in economic growth in high endemic countries of Africa. Overall, the WHO African Region accounted for 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of all malaria deaths in 2021. During the period between 2000 – 2015, the WHO-AFRO region witnessed some progress in malaria control with a decline in mortality of 66% and a halving of malaria prevalence and incidence in children aged 2–10 years2. After this period of unprecedented success, progress in reducing the global malaria burden has stalled. In the African region, only 9 countries met the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) 2020 milestone, and we are not on track to meet milestones for Malaria mortality and morbidity for 2025 at global level.
Maintaining strong country program leadership, political commitment, technical capacity and engendering partnership and coordination including the private sector and community engagement continue to be critical to achieving set goals. WHO-AFRO with its partners in malaria has continued to work with countries to strengthen evidence-based malaria programme environment, in the face of ever-dwindling external resources that have hitherto, sustained the malaria control and elimination efforts.
It is against this backdrop the WHO regional office for Africa seeks to update its roster of international consultants with requisite skills in specific relevant technical areas to provide additional surge capacities as may be needed.
Prompt and appropriate Malaria Case Management is essential to reducing mortality due to the disease in different transmission settings. Case detection, case classification also presents the entry point for disease surveillance activities especially in lower transmission settings. Availability of requisite technical capacities for appropriate case management of uncomplicated and severe malaria, ICCM, MDAs, recommended chemoprevention strategies such as IPTp, IPTi and SMC, the conduct of therapeutic efficacy studies to assure efficacy of treatments of choice and assuring the quality of care at service delivery levels remain essential.
Technical support to strengthen capacity on Malaria Case Management across transmission settings (from high to very low) and health system context are critical to the attainment of the malaria strategic goals articulated in the 2021-30 Malaria GTS. Practical and hands-on approaches to capacity strengthening also provide important feedback towards adapting and assuring continuous improvement in service delivery.
The Consultancy roaster provides a prequalified list of consultants with relevant competencies and experience in malaria case management and therapeutic efficacy studies to support multiple streams of work being implemented under the supervision of the WHO– AFRO malaria team. The prequalification will also allow for rapid selection and deployment of a technical resource as required supporting activities related to Malaria Case management.
Objectives
The overall objective is to ensure that member states are adequately supported, and also appropriate guidance provided in the adoption and implementation of malaria case management interventions and specifically:
The specific objectives are as follows:
- To support policy development in favor of the adoption and scale-up of case management strategies, guidelines and tools;
- To support documentation of best practices/success stories in case management and quality of care
- To support drug resistance monitoring for antimalarial drugs use in case management
- To propose innovative ways to strengthen collaboration and partnership (including identified capacity needs at country level to improve implementation of case management interventions.
Organizational Context
Under the overall supervision of the UCN Director and the Regional Malaria Adviser, designated WHO AFRO/ WCO staff members, the primary supervisor shall be the Malaria ISTs focal point in the sub-region for activities carried out and a second contact point at AFRO office as designated by Communicable Diseases Director and Regional Malaria Adviser.
Description of duties
Outline clear tasks and deliverables, to be carried out in the framework of the background described above.
These need to be time-bound and specific.
Summary of Assigned Duties:
Under the overall supervision of the UCN Director and the Regional Malaria Adviser, designated WHO AFRO/ WCO staff members, the primary supervisor shall be the Malaria ISTs focal point in the sub-region for activities carried out and a second contact point at AFRO office as designated by Communicable Diseases Director and Regional Malaria Adviser.
The consultant will perform the following tasks:
- Work with Malaria Technical Officers and Multi-country assignment team (MCAT) focal points to provide onsite technical assistance with the Ministries of health (MOHs) in support to countries in the update of case management guidelines.
- Support the introduction and use of new strategies and tools in malaria case management.
- To undertake a rapid appraisal and quality of care audits, training and supportive supervision activities for front line health workers
- Build local capacity of the ministry of health workers on appropriate case management and therapeutic efficacy studies.
- Facilitate adoption of policies on rational use of antimalarials and pharmacovigilance
- Provide inputs as required into SOPs relating to Malaria Case management, MDA and chemoprevention interventions in line with WHO recommendations
- Facilitate hands-on field exercises as required
The work will encompass:
- Participation in Malaria quality of care audits
- Field visits to districts and interaction with the affected communities and health workers
- Technical assistance and training to health workers involved in the implementation of malaria case management and chemoprevention activities
- Engage national authorities and other stakeholders on key action points to be addressed.
The deliverables will include:
- Reports of field visits to the affected district and other activity reports
- Training reports from training activities
- Minutes of meetings with national authorities, key partners and other stakeholders
Timelines will be defined based on the scope and scale of each consultancy
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Identify the educational qualifications and expertise needed for the terms of reference outlined above.
Educational Qualifications
Essential: University degree with a Postgraduate Medical or Public Health degree.
Desirable: Diploma in Malariology, infectious diseases management or quality of care.
Experiences
Essential:
- Seven years of experience in Malaria Case Management and at least five years of working experience facilitating capacity building efforts of health workers resource challenged settings
- Experience working with National Malaria Programmes
Desirable:
Experience supporting therapeutic efficacy studies, Malaria chemoprevention interventions such as IPTp, Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC), SMC. Experience in conducting clinical audits and supportive supervision activities.
Competence in Adult learning methods
Working experience with WHO will be an asset
Skills
- Strong knowledge of clinical case management of malaria, communicable disease epidemiology with specific experience in malaria epidemiology;
- Proven experience in the malaria policies, strategies, guidelines development;
- Proven skills and knowledge in the development and evaluation of clinical quality of care;
- Presentation skills and competencies in communication
Competencies:
Candidate should be able to:
- Produce results
- Communicate in a credible and effective way
- Ensure effective use of resources
- Move forward in a changing environment
- Respect and promote individual and cultural differences; building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond.
Languages and level required
The with proficiency at expert level in either English, French or Portuguese
Good working knowledge of the second international language considered an added advantage.
Travel – If travel is involved, full medical clearance is required
Please specify any expected travel(s): dates, location and purpose.
A living expense is payable to on-site consultants – please refer to Information Note 08/2019 for details on eligibility.
Place of assignment: WHO Regional Office, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
5. Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)Rate [daily or monthly or for language and publishing services by word count or number of pages]:
Proposed level: P4 based on qualification and experience.
Currency:
United States Dollars (USD)
Work schedule (if applicable) :
Please refer to Information Note 09/2021 for guidance on rates for consultants.
