International Consultant to support the oxygen platform management

1. Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to collaborate with the WHO Country Offices in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office in support of identified countries with oxygen and enhanced clinical needs assessment and technical advice to increase oxygen access and clinical management capacities.

2. Background

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, affordable and sustainable access to oxygen and insufficient clinical management capacity have been a growing challenge in resource limited and complex emergency countries in WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). COVID-19 has put huge pressure on health systems, with hospitals in many resource limited countries running out of oxygen, resulting in preventable deaths.

Although vast work has been done in the medical oxygen ecosystem over the years, especially in its safe production and clinical use, it remains limited in its access and availability in many countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted this inequity. Access to medical oxygen in such settings is limited due to cost, infrastructure, logistical barriers, and in EMR, insecurity. Health facilities often cannot access the oxygen they require, resulting in the unnecessary loss of lives. During the COVID-19 response, the major challenge for WHO in support of oxygen is a lack of baseline information on oxygen resources in a country. Without having such an “Oxygen capacity mapping”, it will remain challenging to deliver efficient and timely support to meet the urgent needs of oxygen in complex emergency settings.

Driven by a dire need to develop such an oxygen data platform that serves as a tracker and centralized repository of information and tools, the EMRO IHP with support of EMRO information/data management team has developed a Live Oxygen Platform and officially launched the data platform in January 2022. The platform enables countries to carry out real-time aggregation, analysis, and interpretation of medical oxygen access scale-up activities in different contexts, with information captured in both prospective and retrospective manners.

The incumbent under the overall guidance of the WHO EMRO IHP Case Management and Clinical Operations team, EMRO information/data management team and Headquarters will provide technical support in medical oxygen data collection and related clinical management work in participating countries of the region. The consultant is also expected to provide logistics and potentially technical support in the procurement, installation and maintenance of medical equipment supplied to various healthcare facilities by WHO, Ministry of Health and partners, training medical and other technical personnel, and providing technical advice on the correct use of medical oxygen at the request of Ministry of Health / partners in coordination with, supporting and mentoring the biomedical counterpart in the Ministry of Health

3. Work to be performed

Expected output and specific activities under each output.

OUTPUT 1: Provide technical support to the team for the area of clinical management and oxygen scaling up in the Eastern Mediterranean region

Deliverable 1.1: Contribute to the development, implementation and coordination of clinical management activities of between WHO offices and countries in the region

Deliverable 1.2: Contribute to the development, implementation and coordination of oxygen scaling up activities between WHO offices and counties in the region

Deliverables 1.3: Provide a technical input in data management activities for the above areas

OUTPUT 2: Collect data and support the implementation of the Live Oxygen Platform at country level in the Eastern Mediterranean region

Deliverable 2.1: Identity the best way in the Live Oxygen Platform data collection from facilities and suppliers at country level, ensure to capture the baseline oxygen production capacity and oxygen supply system in countries

Deliverable 2.2: Coordinate with the responsible officers in WHO country office, Ministry of Health and EMRO and support implementation of the Live Oxygen Platform at country level, including facilitation of training sessions for data entry in the Live Oxygen Platform

Deliverable 2.3: Establish a close communication and collaboration with regional oxygen networks and partners

OUTPUT 3: Conduct analysis of oxygen and clinical data to support the development of strategies for oxygen and clinical preparedness in resource-limited settings

Deliverable 3.1: Based on the assessment in the Live Oxygen Platform, support estimation of Oxygen demand and gap and development of a fit-for-purpose Oxygen scale up plan for countries

Deliverable 3.2: Based on the assessment in the Live Oxygen Platform, contribute to the development of clinical bundles to ensure long term operations of the equipment, training gaps, IPC measure gaps, and maintenance gaps.

Deliverable 3.3: Support in disseminating the regional Oxygen scale up roadmap and facilitate the implementation of the roadmap strategies in the region

4. Qualifications, experience, skills, and languages

- Qualifications required:

Essential: University degree in Engineering, data science or relevant area

- Experience required:

At least two years of work experience in public health area will be an asset

(desirable): experience in WHO, other UN or another international

Experience in training and capacity building.

- Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

Excellent skills in technical analysis

Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to write in a clear and concise manner and give technical advice and guidance taking into consideration the views of multiple stakeholders and partners in resource-limited contexts.

Proven ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner, while ensuring effective work practices and ethics.

Good computer skills in Microsoft Office applications

5. Languages and level required:

Excellent knowledge of English

6. Location:

WHO EMRO (Cairo, Egypt)

7. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

8. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel according to the needs of the WHO offices and countries.

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.

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