Immunization Specialist NOC TA 364 days, Bamako-Mali

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Hope

Mali is one of the countries, where immunization coverage of children under one has continued to decline since 2010. According to WHO/UNICEF estimates, DTP3 vaccination coverage fell from 75% in 2010 to 66% in 2017. However, there has been an improvement since 2018, with coverage at 71%. Faced with this gradual decline in vaccination coverage, Mali conducted an immunization equity analysis in 2017, which identified the bottles necks to immunization service access among others:

• Lack of knowledge of certain hard-to-reach populations by health workers and lack of action directed towards them: in fact, before the equity analysis exercise, the micro-planning process did not take into account the identification of hard-to-reach populations,
• Dispersed communities far from their villages are not taken into account in the micro-planning. Indeed, they did not appear on the mapping of health areas.
• Absence of mapping of the itineraries of nomadic populations (pastoralists and fishermen).
• Insufficient coverage of communities by programming and implementation of vaccination strategies.
• Absence or inadequacy of a framework for exchanges with community leaders on the organization and implementation of vaccination strategies.
• Lack of social mapping of potential actors in the organization and implementation of vaccination strategies.
• Inadequate organization of vaccination services in large cities: unsuitable schedules with long queues
• Absence of strategies aimed at children in peri-urban neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods in cities.

At the end of this analysis, 23 health districts with the highest numbers of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children were identified as priorities. Each of the 23 priority districts has an action plan, developed at the end of equity analysis workshops and which aims to improve the access of hard-to-reach populations to vaccination services while removing bottlenecks of vaccination system. These plans are regularly updated each year. It is to support the Ministry of Health and Social Development in the implementation of these action plans that UNICEF Mali has made human resources available for technical support to the expanded immunization program and at the level of the health districts for the implementation of the equity approach in immunization.

Despite the upward trend in vaccination coverage observed since 2018 according to EDSMVI, 18% of children from 12 to 23 months have not received any dose of vaccine, this proportion reaches 26% in the poorest quintiles. The proportion of children not and incompletely vaccinated 39% in the poorest quintiles and from 8-26% in urban areas. Given the high population density in cities, this proportion represents a large mass of unvaccinated children who are mostly in peri-urban areas of poor neighborhoods.

Mali's Immunization Program prioritizes and focuses on reaching the most marginalized and vulnerable populations by 2030. Building on the successes of previous strategic periods and to realize the vision of leaving no one behind on the immunization side, it has adhered to GAVI's 5.0 strategy. It focuses on zero-dose children and uncompleted immunize children, building on stronger Primary Health Care (PHC) services. This will require increased attention to programmatic sustainability.

How can you make a difference?

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the update of the urban vaccination strategy in Bamako by integrating maternal and neonatal health interventions, considering the displaced persons and peri-urban population.
• Support the implementation of the urban vaccination strategy in Kayes, Sikasso, Ségou and Koutiala.
• Support the development and updating of micro-plans for Bamako municipalities and the selection of pro-equity interventions/strategies to be implemented in urban areas.
• Provide technical support for the development of social mapping of immunization stakeholders in Bamako.
• Support the monitoring of urban platforms for vaccination and the monitoring of accountability framework in the priority communes of Bamako
• Provide technical support for the implementation of the electronic vaccination register in two communes of Bamako
• Provide technical support for the programming of urban vaccination strategies
• Participate in the development of supportive supervision plans based on an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
• Provide technical support for the analysis of DIHS2 data during quarterly review sessions of EPI data and establishment of the quarterly EPI bulletin.
• Contribute to the implementation and monitoring of interventions for hard-to-reach communities.
• Quarterly monitoring of dashboards and bottlenecks of the immunization system of priority districts.
• Support the establishment of a system for identifying and catching up with 0-dose children

MAIN EXPECTED RESULTS

• The urban vaccination strategy integrating maternal and neonatal health interventions is updated.
• The EPI micro plans of the municipalities of Bamako are updated annually and in 100% of the health areas of the said municipalities
• A map of vaccination centers (public, parapublic or private) in Bamako is available and updated
• A framework for exchange of stakeholders in vaccination in Bamako is established and operational.
• 100% of district micro-plans identify hard-to-reach populations and how to reach them.
• The use of ICT (mobile phone) in vaccination is effective and documented in at least one commune of Bamako
• The introduction of an electronic vaccination register is effective in at least one commune of Bamako
• The dashboards and bottlenecks of vaccination system of priority health districts are monitored each quarter.
• Each quarter, each district receives at least one formative supervision (with documented feedback) by the regional level
• 100% of priority districts and health centers conduct at least one meeting per quarter during which immunization and other primary health care services are discussed with community leaders’ organizations, local authorities, and religious leaders .
• 100% of districts conduct a monthly report review meeting where data, trends and follow-up actions are discussed with feedback sent to health facilities.
• The urban vaccination strategy is functional in Kayes, Sikasso, Ségou and Koutiala

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in doctor, with specialization (Masters II level) in Public Health *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in the planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health/immunization programs
• Good knowledge of the ACD/Equity strategy and how it is implemented, the urban immunization strategy and how it is implemented, PEV data analysis including triangulation
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Core Competencies

• Works collaboratively with others (Level 2)
• Willingness to achieve results for impact (Level 2)
• Builds and maintains partnerships (level 2)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical consciousness (Level 2)
• Handles ambiguity and complexity (Level 2)
• Innovates and embraces change (Level 2)
• Thinks and acts strategically (Level 2)

Functional Competencies:

• Building trust [ II ]
• Resource management [ II ]
• Communication [ II ]
• Influencing [ II ]
• Judgment [ II ]
• Technical knowledge [ II ]
• Team leadership [ II ] P
• Planning, standard setting and monitoring [ II ]

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.