AMR/IPC Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National University contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National University contracts.

The Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global public health threat, as endorsed by the WHA Global Action Plan on AMR in 2015. The plan has five strategic objectives on improving awareness and understanding of AMR, establishing AMR surveillance, effective sanitation, hygiene and infection prevention measures, optimizing the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health, and sustainable investment in containment interventions.

The objectives of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) program in the WHO Country Office - Jordan, aligned with the global action plan on AMR, is to ensure, for as long as possible, continuity of successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases with effective and safe anti-microbials that are quality-assured, used in a responsible way, and accessible to all who need them. This will be channelled through supporting Jordan to continue to update and implement its national action plan on AMR as urged by the WHA resolutions and to support, among other interventions, national infection control and prevention to limit the spread of AMR in healthcare settings.

Antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics) save millions of lives each year. Modern medicine's dependence on antibiotics has become enormous since the development of these drugs in the early 1940s. However, the abuse and excessive use of these drugs in humans and animals has facilitated the emergence and spread of strains of microbes that are resistant to these drugs, which has made many of these drugs lose their effectiveness. Data in the Eastern Mediterranean countries indicates a rise in the rates of bacterial resistance against antibiotics from 50% to 90% inside health facilities, which leads to an increase in the mortality rate because of these bacteria.

Jordan has formulated its National Action Plan (2018 – 2022) on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and national committee has also been established to follow up and implement the activities of this plan. Jordan has also officially enrolled in the Global Antimicrobial Surveillance System (GLASS) since 2018 and is reporting AMR data annually to GLASS. Since 2018 WHO has worked extensively with the Ministry of Health of Jordan to establish a comprehensive and representative national AMR surveillance system in Jordan and to build the capacities of the national stakeholders to combat AMR.

Despite the achievements that have been made, there is still a lot of effort and work required to confront this phenomenon in Jordan. Stakeholders should raise awareness about the AMR threat and the role the concerned parties must play and promote rational use of antimicrobials as examples of activities to combat AMR. This could happen through improving legislation and developing mechanisms and procedures to ensure balancing the availability of antimicrobials while monitoring their use and efficacy for human, animal and food health.

National UN University Volunteers in Jordan are entitled to:

• Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of JOD 537.66;
• Annual and learning leaves;
• Free Medical and life insurance; and
• Free access to different learning platforms.

For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service

Under the direct supervision of AMR Coordinator, the national UN University Volunteer will:

• Support the AMR team in the WHO Country Office – Jordan to assist Jordan in the update and implementation of national action plans for Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) and monitoring the progress of implementation; • Assist the AMR team to support Jordan to establish, implement and monitor national and facility IPC programs; • Contribute to the implementation of the of AMR and IPC Work plans and participate in on-going projects of the AMR team; • Assist in improving AMR data flow and quality through monitoring and improve data use, and feedback of data to key stakeholders and facilitate data-driven decision making; • Provide support to the AMR team to assist Jordan to continue to report AMR and other data to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS), and collect, analyze and report AMR data to stakeholders to inform decision-making in the country; • Assist in drafting, formatting and editing policy briefs, tool kits, guides/manuals, hand-outs, brochures and reports and conduct review of literature and literature surveys as required by AMR team; • As part of the team, provide technical assistance for national and regional initiatives to build capacities of AMR surveillance sites; • Undertake web research and data collection on specific subject areas including antimicrobial resistance, consumption, use and stewardship in different sectors (human, animal, and others) and other topics as required by AMR team; • Assist in organizing workshops, meetings, conferences, and events, and drafting their final reports; and • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to WHO; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to WHO’s procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and WHO in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards WHO’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

public health, medical, microbiological, pharmaceutical, Veterinary studies or related fields.

• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded; • Ability to think strategically; to express ideas clearly; and to work in teams. • Strong commitment to international public health; an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments; and a desire to work with people with different language, national and cultural backgrounds. • Good communication and writing skills. • Ability to learn new skills and expand knowledge and propose innovative approaches and solutions

Amman, the capital, is a peaceful city with over four million residents. People are friendly to visitors. Services in terms of banking, transportation, health and communications are easily available. Though Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken among the majority of the population, especially in Amman. Road network is good both in terms of spread and quality of the roads. Public transportation in Amman is limited. Taxis are relatively cheap and easily available. There are a number of shopping malls, restaurants, gyms, and cinemas. A large variety of accommodation options can be found; however, it is worth noting that prices in Amman have generally increased in the past few years. There are no specific security threats. Amman is a very easy city in which to live; large, many amenities, very modern and serviced by an international airport with direct flights to most capital cities. According to the assessment of the UN Department of Safety & Security (UNDSS) Jordan is a family duty station (category A hardship).

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.