Guinea Worm Field Officer

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The World Health organization has been supporting the country in enhancing Dracunculiasis surveillance nationwide, including increasing community awareness on Dracunculiasis precertification activities. Following the change on the division of labor between WHO and TCC in assisting EDEP, starting from April 2015 WHO has focused on the technical support on the overall leadership and coordination of GWEP in the country, strengthening of the refugee and cross border surveillance, advocacy, precertification activities, joint monitoring, and evaluation of the overall implementations. One of the big challenges in the eradication endeavor is the cross-border issues between South Sudan and Ethiopia, including seasonal and regular population movement and lack of information exchange between the two countries at the border. On top of these more than 400,000 South Sudanese refugee influxes is hosted in Gambella in 7 refugee camps with more expected to come. In this connection, the country office has devised a concrete strategy by hiring a Guinea worm disease field officer to expedite the effort of controlling the importation of Guinea worm disease cases from South Sudan refugees and realize interruption of the disease transmission.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• To assist in planning, implementing, and monitoring Guinea worm eradication activities in the refugee camp.
• To undertake continuous technical support and surveillance to the refugee camp where he/she is assigned, in collaboration with the national GWEP coordinator, Gambella Regional health Bureau and Refugee and Returnees Service (RRS).
• To support the implementation of cross border meeting recommendations and PoA
• To participate on behalf of WHO in joint activities, events, and projects in collaboration with other partners at district and regional levels.
• To actively engage in social mobilization and advocacy activities
• Support the documentation of GWEP activities within the refugee camps for precertification of the country
• To strengthen cross border collaboration and communication

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the overall supervision of WR Ethiopia and with close supervision of UCN team leader and NPO/GW, the incumbent will have overall responsibility of supporting the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of Refugee Guinea Worm activities in the region he/she is assigned to:

1. Organize Training workshops on Guinea Worm particularly to RRS health workers and community health agents within the refugee camp
2. Coordinate refugee surveillance activities, compile and submit monthly reports to the regional refugee surveillance coordinator and NPO/GW
3. Gather relevant data on Guinea Worm and prepare and submit monthly, report timely
4. Assess the awareness level of the refugee community on GWD and the cash reward
5. Use other public health programs like polio and other NTDs as opportunity to carry out activities such as case search and sensitization
6. Actively participate in GW and other outbreak prone diseases investigations within the refugee camps
7. Joint woreda refugee camp emergency task force and RRT strengthening
8. Implement the cross-border consultation meeting recommendations;
9. Conduct active case search and health education within the refugee camps;
10. Ensure that IDSR weekly report reaches to woreda health office timely including outbreak line list
11. To strengthen GWD screening at refugee entry and reception centers
12. When the need arises, in consultation with the country office, the consultant will perform GWEP activities out of the refugee camp in the region, and may support other refugee camps as well
13. Support other NTDs endemic to the region and integrate where possible GWD during Mass Drug Administration campaigns and SBCC activities
14. To support other UCN program implementations in refugee camps such as on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
15. Support COVID19 response in the region as per the Guidance given from the WCO
16. Ensure to implement all the planned activities in line with the recommendation given in the COVID19 Guideline and Continuity of Essential Health Services

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential****:

First University Degree in Public Health or related fields

Desirable****:

Master’s degree in Public Health or Health data analysis.

Experience

Essential:

Minimum of 5 years of work experience in Public Health related positions and Minimum of 3 years in Guinea worm disease eradication program.

Desirable:

At least 3 years proven experience in the Ethiopian Dracunculiasis Eradication Program

Functional Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent knowledge in written and spoken English
• Good group work relationship and communication skills;
• Extensive experience in health activities at the regional levels with experiences in programme planning;
• Experienced in public health activities and working under difficult conditions;
• Providing leadership on issues critical to health and working with partners in joint action and coordination.

WHO Competencies

1) Promoting the Organization’s Position in Health Leadership

2) Fostering Integration and Teamwork

3) Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

4) Communicating in a credible and effective way

5) Producing results

6) Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Excellent knowledge of English. Working knowledge of French or another WHO official language would be an asset.

Other Skills (e.g. IT Skills)

Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Power Point, Word) Microsoft Teams Audio/ Video Conferencing (Webex, Zoom, Meet etc.)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Remuneration – this is a Special Service Agreement at NOC Level for six months (6).
• 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.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever 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 in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.