WHO Rwanda in Collaboration with Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) is inviting applicants from suitability qualified Rwandan Nationals to fill the following Consultancy:

Title: International consultant to Conduct the pre-assessment of the validation of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Grade: P5

Duty Station: KIGALI

Date issue: 06/05/2021

Deadline: 24/05/2021

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background and justification

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV is a significant contributor to the HIV pandemic, accounting for 9% of new infections globally. MTCT of HIV occurs when HIV is transmitted from a woman living with HIV to her baby during pregnancy, labour or delivery, or after delivery through breastfeeding. Without treatment, approximately 15–30% of infants born to HIV-positive women will become infected with HIV during gestation and delivery, with a further 5–15% becoming infected through breastfeeding. HIV infection of infants results in early mortality for many or creates a lifelong chronic condition that greatly shortens life expectancy and contributes to substantial human, social and economic costs.

Dual elimination of Mother to child transmission of HIV and Syphilis serves to improve a broad range of maternal and child health (MCH) services and outcomes. This achievement directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 5 and 10 and to first billion of more people benefitting from universal health coverage of WHO GPW-13 which both aspire to ensure health and well-being for all, achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, and reduce inequalities in access to services and commodities.

The global community has committed to eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis as a public health priority. International and regional goals have been set, and countries are scaling up programmes towards EMTCT of HIV and syphilis. The processes and criteria to validate EMTCT of HIV and/or syphilis has been defined by WHO and partners to guide countries to apply a standard approach across a wide range of epidemiological and programmatic contexts.

In Rwanda, efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and syphilis focus on taking a harmonized and integrated approach to improving health outcomes for women and children.

Rwanda is planning to undertake the validation of the elimination of MTCT or the Certification on the Path to the Elimination Criteria depending on the outcome of the pre-assessment of the MTCT that will be conducted by a consultant under the leadership of the HIV division manager at RBC/MOH in collaboration with partners (WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA, PEPFAR) and local and international NGOs and civil society organizations.

The Technical Working Group recommended to hire a consultant that will facilitate the pre-assessment work by filling in the tables and questionnaire (15 pages) that will gather qualitative and quantitative data across the cascade continuum from all the relevant stakeholders and programmes.

Purpose of the consultancy

Assess the existence and level of implementation of the national policy, strategic plan, national operational plan, national guidelines and testing algorithms of PMTCT and EMTCT (HIV and syphilis where applicable) and assess if they are aligned to WHO recommendations and standards (PMTCT/EMTCT, RMNCAH and nutrition).
Provide a summary of the status of key indicators for EMTCT and Path to Elimination of HIV and/or syphilis validation (table-1 of the tool) and discuss the findings
Provide available national programme data estimates for infant diagnosis and maternal viral load (table-2 of the tool) and discuss the findings
Provide available data for viral load testing of HIV pregnant and breastfeeding women on ART (table-3 of the toll) and discuss the findings
Fill out the checklist and discuss the findings for country preliminary assessment of EMTCT of HIV and Syphilis and Path to Elimination Criteria which consists of the following focus areas:
1. Programme and services assessment
2. national plan assessment
3. national policy and programming
4. national guidelines and protocols
5. service delivery
6. financing and financial access
7. commodities
8. Human rights, gender and community engagement – general legal issues
9. Laboratory and commodities assessment
10. Data assessment

Organizational context

Under overall supervision of the WHO Representative for Rwanda, and the direct supervision of the WHO Technical officer for HIV and HIV division manager in Rwanda Bio Medical Center, the international consultant will conduct the pre-assessment of the validation of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Summary of assigned duties

Output: The consultant is expected to provide technical support to the HIV National program, and to stakeholders for the review of the PMTCT national program with focus to the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.

Activity 1.1: Review of the current WHO/global recommendations and national recommendations and practices for PMTCT/EMTCT of HIV and syphilis;

Activity 1.2: Collect, analyze and discuss data based on the pre-assessment check-list for validation or EMTCT/Path to Certification criteria developed by WHO and partners;

Activity 1.3: Present the findings to the TWG, MOH/RBC and partners for deliberation;

Activity 1.4: Provide guidance on the option to undertake: validation for EMTCT or /Path to Elimination Certification criteria;

Activity 1.9: Provide a report summarizing the methodology, findings, gaps and limitations and recommendations;

Activity 1.10: The expert is expected to be available for calls/meetings with WHO and to proactively reach out to WHO to flag any potential bottlenecks hampering the potential successful implementation of the afore-mentioned output (that cannot be resolved at country level) and – to the extent possible - provide insights to WHO on potential solutions to identified problems.

Deliverables

Three tables of the tools are filled out and the findings are discussed in term of data source, completeness, gaps and quality and how the collected data comply with WHO standards and to which extend they should contribute to the objective of the validation of EMTCT of the Certification on the Path criteria.
The Check-list is filled out and the findings are discussed in terms of data source, completeness, gaps and quality and how the collected data comply with WHO standards and to which extend they should contribute to the objective of the validation of EMTCT of the Certification on the Path criteria.
Report summarizing the methodology, findings, gaps and limitations and recommendations

Duration

The deliverables as mentioned above will have to be produced in twenty-five working days.

Education qualifications

An advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, health services

Experience

Minimum of 10 years of experience in HIV PMTCT program and EMTCT areas in limited resource settings
Minimum of 10 years of experience in public health program evaluation

Skills

Good understanding of design, methodology and data collection and analysis for public health evaluation
Good understanding of data analysis and trend
Report writing and communication skills