Consultant - Support to Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Purpose of the Consultancy

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance to national and subnational stakeholders to ensure quality preparation, implementation, and monitoring to reach at least 95% uniform coverage in the 2024 Lao PDR National Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity (MR SIA), as well as to utilize the opportunity to strengthen routine immunization during the SIA.

Background

Measles immunization was introduced in Lao PDR in 1984 and was switched to the MR vaccine in 2011. The second dose of the MR vaccine was introduced in November 2017 and the current schedule provides the first-dose MR vaccine (MR1) for infants aged 9 to <12 months and the second-dose MR vaccine (MR2) for children aged 12 to 18 months. MR1 vaccination coverage through routine immunization has increased from 69% in 2011 to 82% in 2017 [1]. Between 2015 and 2018, measles case incidence dropped from approximately 300 cases per million population which occurred in the early 2000s to less than 10 per million. However, since the beginning of 2019, large-scale measles outbreaks have occurred across the country. In 2019, 1280 cases were reported among school-aged children and high-risk districts. In 2020 there were over 130 measles cases reported [2], however the reporting of measles cases was largely muted worldwide with COVID-19 pandemic impacts on vaccine-preventable disease surveillance.

To close the immunity gaps and prevent measles outbreaks in the country. Lao PDR is planning a nationwide MR SIA in May 2024. To ensure the high quality of the MR SIA rollout, the WHO Country Office (CO) is seeking a consultation to support the coordination of the MR SIA. The consultant is expected to lead the coordination and collaboration among MOH, WHO, UN partners, National AEFI Committee and other relevant stakeholders as well as subnational technical assistants on the overall MR SIA activities.

Deliverables

• Assist with the formation and facilitation of a technical working group/campaign cell with the National Immunization Program, WHO, UNICEF, CHAI and other concerned partners for management, planning, training, communications, and evaluation of the MR SIA.
• Technical assistance and oversight for developing high quality district and sub-district microplanning for the National MR SIA with a special focus on health center level microplanning, and identification of high-risk areas.
• Technical assistance for coverage mapping, logistic planning, injection safety, waste management and monitoring /response for adverse events following immunization (AEFI).
• Technical assistance for facilitating coordination between province & district health offices, NGOs, INGOs, civil society organizations and other partners to ensure establishment and operation of provincial and district level coordination committees.
• Technical assistance for training and orientation of health staff, and advocacy at province, district, and sub-heath centre levels.

• Developing, coordinating, and implementing a monitoring plan for National, PHO/ DHO and Health centre levels:

  • Pre-campaign readiness assessment using the predefined checklist as adopted for Lao PDR (SIA assessment tools) and provide necessary feedback, and correction to the national and subnational level.
  • Intra-campaign monitoring using a predefined supervisory/implementation checklist to identify operational problems/challenges and rapid convenience monitoring (RCM) to identify areas of low coverage and vaccine hesitancy.
  • Post-campaign monitoring using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) to ascertain level of coverage in selected areas.

• Technical assistance to the subnational level to strengthen routine immunization, specifically utilizing the MR SIA as an opportunity for identification of defaulters, and underserved areas then ensure proper follow-up and development of the plan of action (POA) to improve routine immunization activities.

• Assist and monitor the flow and distribution of vaccine, logistics, training, and IEC materials and assist in developing communication plans (including social media).
• Advocacy for case-based surveillance for measles and rubella at all levels using the BIAN as an opportunity.
• Providing regular feedback to the national EPI staff, PHO, and the WHO team

Deliverables 1: English version of the training materials and monitoring tools for the 2024 MR SIA Deliverables 2: Monthly reports Deliverables 3: Interim 2024 MR SIA report Deliverables 4: Intra-campaign and post-campaign/mop-up plan Deliverables 5: Final Report on the 2024 MR SIA

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: University degree in public health or other health-related is required. Desirable: Master's degree of public health or higher education in public health.

Experience

Essential: Minimum 5 years of experience in the managing immunization programme. Desirable: At least 5 years of experience in working in resource-limited settings. Experience in managing SIA in resource-limited settings is desired

Language

Expert knowledge of English

Location

Off site: Home-based Off site for the planning and preparation phase, on site based on demand from the NIP

On site during the SIA period

Travel

The consultant is not expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget

Remuneration:TBD Expected duration of contract: 8 months, 15 March to 15 November 2024

Additional information

• 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. • The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to [email protected] • An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates. • WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. • Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. • WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO. • Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected]. • In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates .