Immunization Systems Strengthening Consultant, Suva, Fiji

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy 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, results

Health systems in the Pacific suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the prioritization of COVID-19 response and vaccination rollout activities over routine service delivery. Most Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) successfully delivered COVID-19 vaccines to their population (adults, adolescents, and children) reaching high coverage with the exception of a few countries (Solomon Islands & Vanuatu). Routine immunization coverage, on the other hand, is showing a downward trend during 2019-2022. The estimate of national routine immunization coverage in 2023 shows a downward trend of DTP3 coverage particularly in Cook Islands, FSM, Samoa and Vanuatu. Measles containing vaccine second dose (MCV2) coverage is alarmingly low in FSM, Samoa, Cook Islands, RMI, and Kiribati. Similarly, Vanuatu provides only one dose of measles-containing vaccines which is sub-optimal placing the country at high risk for measles transmission. The risk of measles outbreak in those countries is high if population immunity remains the same.

COVID-19 response and vaccination support by COVAX facility and bilateral donors such as DFAT, MFAT, ADB, the Government of Japan, and USAID enabled countries to prevent and reduce COVID-19 disease burden, morbidity and mortality of their citizens and also provided a unique opportunity to strengthen the health system, revitalization of routine EPI and integration of COVID-19 vaccination in EPI and Primary Health Care during post-COVID-19 emergency phase. Some countries take the opportunity to address chronic vaccine-preventable diseases such as typhoid mass vaccination in Tuvalu, preventing outbreaks through conducting measles supplementary immunization activities in Solomon Islands and organizing catch-up vaccination to boost routine vaccine coverage in many PICTs. The lesson learned is that a resilient health system must be in place to continue PHC service delivery while addressing COVID-19 or possible similar pandemics in the future in the PICTs. This includes integration of COVID-19 with routine service delivery, capacity building of health care workers in micro-planning, reinforcing training with supportive supervision to gain sustain improvement in technical skills of health care workers and managerial skills of mid-level managers, linking and working with the community during normal times and in emergency and behaviour change communication. The re-emergence of new strains of the COVID-19 virus is likely and that additional dose of vaccination may be required to boost the immunity of the populations. As such, countries are ready to respond to any epidemic as required.

UNICEF was able to support new vaccine introduction (PCV, Rotavirus and HPV vaccines) in 10 PICTs except for those countries which have already included those vaccines in their routine schedule. As part of the activities, post-introduction assessments are planned in Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue and Tokelau in 2023/early 2024.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF seeks an international consultant to provide technical assistance to the Ministries of Health in immunization system strengthening and revitalization of routine immunization coverage to prevent Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) outbreaks in the PICTs is crucial for UNICEF Suva.

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support to the Ministries of Health and other stakeholders to improve routine immunization coverage and integration of COVID-19 vaccination with other services in routine programs, and immunization systems strengthening in the PICTs.

The specific objective is to support Ministries of Health/EPI Programmes in:

• EPI regional workshop preparation, organization, facilitation, and reporting
• Tuvalu typhoid vaccine rollout
• Post new vaccine introduction assessments (PCV, Rota and HPV vaccines) in Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue and Tokelau
• Immunization in Practice (IIP) training in PICTs - Solomon Islands, RMI, Kiribati, Cook Islands etc
• Integration of COVID-19 vaccination with routine immunization and PHC in PICTs
• Prevention of vaccine-preventable disease cases and outbreaks in the PICTs

To review the detailed role, please refer to the Terms of Reference link: Immunization Strengthening Consultancy.pdf

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

Qualifications: A university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Medicine, Public Health, Sociology and Anthropology, Epidemiology and disease control, Immunology and International Development

Experience:

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in the expanded programme on immunization, disease control epidemiology and surveillance, immunology

• Experience with SIAs

• Experience in immunization supply chain management and analysis including experience with data management will be an asset
• Experience with the Pacific Islands context

Skills:

• Basic computer skills, and ability to balance and reconcile figures and transcribe accurately
• Able to work effectively with people internal and external parties
• Communicates clearly and concisely

Knowledge:

• Global immunization strategies, WHO position papers and SAGE recommendation on childhood vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination, COVAX, COVID-19 vaccine delivery, COVID-19 vaccine delivery partnership support, immunization supply chain strategies and basic knowledge on the Effective Vaccine Management and understanding of the principles of vaccine management, cold chain etc.

NOTE TO CONSULTANTS: When submitting your interest please submit a separate financial offer along with your application. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables but should show a breakdown for the following:

• Monthly / Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference
• Travel (economy air ticket where applicable to take up assignment if in-country support is required, as well as any in-country travel)
• Living allowance for international consultants
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

Remarks:

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.