International Consultants: Strengthening routine immunization and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance in the high-risk provinces

Purpose of consultancy

To support and guide Provincial, District, and sub-district health managers in the provinces in improving routine immunization coverage, zero dose reduction, reaching targets for vaccine-preventable disease surveillance indicators, response to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreak, measles and rubella elimination, diphtheria control, and new vaccine introduction

Background

WHO is providing technical support to the national immunization programme of Indonesia to raise and maintain immunization coverage above 90% among infants and targeted age groups and above 80% in all districts, strengthen laboratory-supported surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases, maintain a polio-free status of the country and implement polio end game strategies, eliminate measles and rubella and introduce new vaccines of relevance to the country.

Accelerating the recovery of routine immunization coverage and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance following the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure control of outbreaks with particular attention to the current vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreak is the current priority for WHO technical support. Catching up with children who missed routine immunization and sustaining coverage will ensure controlling current outbreaks and the occurrence of outbreaks in the future. WHO proposes to recruit 10 international consultants to support the strengthening of Immunization services and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance in the priority provinces.

Deliverables

• Assist provinces to urgently develop plans for catching up on children missed immunization, reducing zero dose children and restoring immunization services with a focus on priority districts and subdistricts, and rapidly enhancing bOPV3 and IPV coverage.
• Technical assistance and oversight for developing high-quality microplanning from villages to sub-districts and districts for routine immunization with a special focus on health-center level microplanning, and identification of high-risk areas.
• Provide support to implement national guidance on logistics planning, injection safety, waste management, and monitoring of adverse events following immunization (AEFI);
• Technical assistance to facilitate intersectoral coordination at the provincial and district level, including collaboration between Education offices, religious affairs offices, NGOs, INGOs, religious and community-based organizations, private schools, and other partners to ensure the establishment of and smooth operation of district and sub-district level coordination committees;
• Provide support in planning, implementation, and monitoring of nOPV2 supplementary immunization activities whenever necessary
• Provide support building the capacity of provincial, district, and sub-district level immunization managers through Mid-Level managers training and coordination of training of midwives, nurses, and other immunization staff, and vaccinators at health centers in cascade training
• Support vaccine-preventable disease surveillance with a special focus on AFP surveillance, suspected Measles and rubella surveillance, and diphtheria surveillance
• Support developing, coordinating, and implementing a monitoring plan with from PHO/ DHO and the education department
• Conduct desk review and field monitoring to improve immunization coverage and quality service delivery also regular feedback to the national, PHO, DHO, and the WHO team.
• Provide technical support for the introduction of new and underused vaccines, such as PCV, Rota vaccine, HPV vaccine, and JE vaccine in the provinces
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to WHO supported Vaccination technical officers in the provinces and
• Submit a detailed final report at the end of the assignment.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Degree in medicine in public health or related disciplines

Desirable:

• Master’s degree in public health or related disciplines
• High-level training in immunization, epidemiology, vaccine-preventable disease control

Experience

Essential: At least five years of relevant experience in immunization and vaccine-preventable disease control programmes. Substantial international exposure in immunization and communicable disease control.

Desirable: International experience in Immunization, polio eradication, public health, vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, new vaccine introduction, or communicable disease epidemiology

Skills/ Technical skills and Knowledge:

• Expert in routine immunization and SIA, microplanning, monitoring, and evaluation tools.
• Excellent communication skills, especially to collaborate with MOH and relevant partners and stakeholders.
• Excellent writing skills.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced):

Expert level of English is required for this position. Ability to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) is desirable.

Location

On site:

• Aceh
• North Sumatera
• Riau
• West Sumatera
• South Sumatera
• Papua/West Papua
• Maluku
• East Nusa Tenggara
• South Kalimanta
• West Java

Travel

Consultants will be expected to travel domestically.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

• Remuneration: Band level B (monthly remuneration from USD 7,000 to USD 9,980, Depending on the qualification of the selected candidate
• Living expenses: Per diem will be paid as per WHO rules applicable to international consultant for travel.
• Expected duration of contract: 22 months starting from February 2023

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) in English 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.