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Qualifications

Objectives of the programme

Strengthen routine immunization against Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) diseases for all children in the first five years of life and for all women of child-bearing age. Achieve and sustain certification standard surveillance as a strategy to eradicate poliomyelitis, to reduce mortality caused by measles, and to eliminate neonatal tetanus. Additionally support Supplemental Immunization Activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the WHO Country Representative, the incumbent will work under direct supervision of the sub-office coordinator and report to WHO EPI team leader.  He/she will perform the following duties:

• Initiate, coordinate and support the states within the Hub to develop immunization plans and services integrated with other child health packages for high impact. 
• Develop and ensure the use of the components of the Reach Every Community Strategy for Routine Immunization in the county. 
• Plan, organize and implement all SIAs including NIDs. 
• Train, Supervise and evaluate the work of the Field Supervisors and Field Assistants 
• Conducts in service training to the health staff at every level on AFP/measles/ Neonatal Tetanus (NNT)
  Encourages the heads to designate an AFP/ measles/IDSR focal person at every level. Keeps database of health facility AFP focal persons and update regularly. Organizes and supervises social mobilization activities to encourage reporting of AFP cases by the community. 
• Prioritizes all sites (hospitals, health centers, health stations, health posts, private hospitals and clinics, holy water sites, traditional healers, etc.) as “high”, “medium”, or “low” priority. After completing prioritization, develops a realistic short, medium and long-term operational plan to conduct active case search and sensitization.

   

• Investigates all “hot Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases”. Examines all cases to complete a care seeking questionnaire and for late cases, conducts the after 60th day follow up clinical evaluations. 
• Conducts outbreak investigation whenever there is clinically classified or virologically confirmed polio. 
• Conducts outbreak investigations when necessary for other causes and prepare an outbreak investigation report. 
• Assists with timely utilization and retirement of surveillance funds at every level. 
• • Ensure technical support to the Boma Health Initiative 
  • Provide technical support to the MoH agencies and NGO partners on EPI plus activities. 

  Reporting: 

  ·         Immediate notification report of AFP cases

  ·         Weekly programme update: AFP and Measles Zero Reporting.,

  ·         Weekly IDSR line list/log of rumors and suspect outbreaks

  ·         Weekly IDSR line list of deaths at community level

  ·         Monthly AFP Surveillance Line List.

  ·         Monthly case-base line list of Measles – cases with investigations forms.

  ·         Monthly Supervision Reports

  ·         Monthly Routine Immunization Reports

  ·         Monthly Field Supervision Report

  Quarterly EPI Plus reports covering:

  ·         AFP Surveillance Activities

  ·         SIAs

  ·         Measles Activities

  ·         Routine Immunization

  ·         IDSR

  ·         Malaria Control

• a)   Annual Report

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Education qualifications:

·         Essential – First University Degree in Public Health or health-related disciplines

·       Desirable – Degree in Medicine (MD/MBChB) or Clinical Officer, Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Health/Epidemiology/HMIS or Programme Management

Experience

·         Essential – At least one year of clinical or public health work experience with emphasis in surveillance, EPI and/ or other child health program

  Desirable – Experience managing disease outbreak or any public heath emergencies will be an added advantage.

Knowledge and skills required.

·         Technical expertise in public health and epidemiology, planning, program management and coordination of health programs, especially as it relates to surveillance, outbreak investigation of vaccine preventable diseases and other diseases under surveillance and routine immunization; ability to train others, familiarity with polio eradication, measles mortality reduction, neonatal tetanus elimination activities and strategies as well as key routine and supplemental immunization activities.

Other Skills

Working knowledge of computer software with spread sheet and data analysis skills.

Languages

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

Management and Supervision

The EPI Officer will be supervised by the Polio Team Leader and Ministry of Health the EPI Focal Point. 

Other qualities:

·         Excellent communicator (both verbally and in-writing)

·         Team Player

·         Self-motivated

·         Competences in assessing priorities manage a variety of activities (multi-tasking) in a time-sensitive manner and meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.

·         Ability to work independently, innovatively and take initiative to get tasks accomplished in timely manner.

·         Arabic – Level 2 speaking.  English – Level 4 both speaking and writing.

Additional Information (For HR use only):

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level. 
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. 
• A written test may be used as a form of screening. 
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review. 
• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int. 
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity. 
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. 
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged. 

·         WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.