National Consultancy - Strengthening the capacities of Laboratory, Diagnostics and Supply chain management systems for HIV/AIDS, Cameroon

Contract

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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, health!

UNICEF has been working in Cameroon since 1975 to allow women and children to fully realize their rights to development without restriction, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF provides financial and technical support to Cameroon across seven areas to fully realize the rights of women and children. These areas include Health, HIV/AIDS, Water-sanitation-Hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and social inclusion. UNICEF focuses mainly on children and the most vulnerable and excluded families. Cameroon’s 2020 population is estimated at 26,545,863 people according to UN data. The population is young and generates strong socioeconomic demand. In rural areas, limited access to basic social services and the effects of climate changes lead to household impoverishment and severe child deprivations. The task is immense but not insurmountable; it requires the energy of all stakeholders in Cameroon and out of Cameroon: also, women, men, youth and children, government, technical and financial partners, donors, civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians, communities. Everyone is invited to take part in the struggle to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Together, we will act for Cameroon, a country that summarizes the challenges and hopes of Africa. To learn more about UNICEF Cameroon: Use the below link

https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/CMR/SitePages/AboutUs.aspx

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Activity/Assignment :

Support the central, regional, and district level in HIV/AIDS laboratory, Diagnostics, and supply chain management systems for pregnant/breastfeeding women, children, and adolescents

Scope of Work :

Cameroon has a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic

Cameroon has a generalized HIV epidemic with a national prevalence of 3.4% among women and 2.7% among men aged 15-59 years. Among women, the prevalence increases with age from 3.4% for 20-24 years, 3.7% for 25-29 years, 4.1% for 30-34 years, to 6.5% for 35-39 years The South, Adamaoua, and East Regions have the highest HIV prevalence rates: 5.8%, 5.6%, and 4.1% respectively. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable and have a 9-times higher incidence than boys.

Since 2020, UNICEF supports 55 health districts in 6 Regions (Adamaoua, East, Far-North, North, West, and South). In the 55 health districts, in 2020, 341,517 (88%) out of 386,036 pregnant women accessed antenatal care, and 303,375 (89%) pregnant women were tested for HIV. Overall, 7,345 pregnant women were identified HIV positive leading to an HIV positive rate of 2.42%, and 6,469 (88%) HIV positive pregnant women were put on ART medication. Among expected HIV exposed babies, only 4,158 (57%) received prophylactic ART at birth, 3,009 (41%) were tested for HIV at 6-8 weeks and 118 (3.92%) were infected with HIV. Regarding HIV care and treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV, 6,128 out of 18,807 HIV-positive expected children and adolescents were identified and put on ART medication leading to an ART coverage of 32.6%. One of the main challenges of the HIV/AIDS response is the weak capacity of Laboratories, Diagnostics, and Supply chain management systems. In 2021, 40 Point-Of-care were acquired by UNICEF and installed in 40 district hospitals for processing the HIV Early infant diagnosis and viral load testing. Moreover, HIV commodities testing is needed to reduce stock-outs. Therefore, there is a need for capacity strengthening of key stakeholders at all levels, close monitoring, supervision, and mentoring of health care providers for the optimal functioning of the laboratory system at the district and regional levels and of the supply chain management system This will contribute to developing an effective HIV testing and viral load monitoring system at the district level.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to support central, Regional, and District levels in improving laboratory, diagnostics, and supply chain management systems. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible for

1. Strengthening Point-Of-Care for HIV diagnostics and Laboratory and Supply Chain Management:

• Support health system strengthening especially the Laboratory, diagnostics, Drugs, and medical supplies component at the central, regional, and district levels
• Manage project by ensuring national operational plans are aligned with project activities and outputs with measurable progress indicators
• Work with the National Procurement Centre for Essential Drugs and Medical Devices, the National AIDS Control Committee, Tuberculosis, and other Health programs to support national normative guidance for informing programmatic decision-making and improving availability of essential drugs and commodities
• Closely engage with MOH and relevant technical working groups to support and develop updated POC enabling policies and guidelines to expedite registration.
• Support evaluations and operational research (OR) for sharing performance of POC testing
• Support the development and implementation of strategic scale-up of EID and VL diagnostics
• Engage with National Health (Malaria, TB, and others) and HIV Programs and Technical Working Groups to support in-country planning exercises and implementation activities.
• Coordinating with Supply Section to ensure diagnostic operational demands are generated
• Support CO focal points in managing country-specific challenges for scale-up of POC for early infant diagnosis (EID) and viral load monitoring (VL), and linkage to effective treatment and clinical decision making
• Support monitoring of supplies and commodities for health and HIV
• Preparing timely and quality project report in line with grant commitments

2. Technical Leadership and partnership building capacity development on screening, diagnostics, and surveillance

• Convene necessary training and provide technical inputs to support and develop guidance and knowledge sharing on Health including HIV laboratory technologies
• Support implementation of HIV surveillance activities and laboratory network strengthening
• Support HIV screening activities for HIV, Syphilis, and other diseases
• Supporting the diagnostic scoping assessments
• Support Quality Management Systems to improve reliability and accuracy of test results
• Provide guidance on quality assurance for laboratories at regional and district levels
• Facilitating and driving technical leadership on diagnostics, POC, and linkage to treatment for country program preparation and providing inputs for reviews where appropriate.
• Creating and maintaining national partnerships and networks with key technical stakeholders to support HIV program, policy, advocacy, and diagnostic needs
• Work with WHO, CDC/PEFAR, and other technical organizations to ensure quality assurance and harmonized and synergistic partners' contributions to POC.
• Reinforce the capacities of key partners and providers on Point-of-Care and other diagnostics including HIV, COVID-19
• Support pharmaceutical and supply chain activities

3. Communications and Knowledge Management

• Support evidence generation and the analysis of POC programming in national diagnostics strengthening, and related health systems, through documentation, annual reporting, and assessment of promising practices.
• Support Coordination and the effective dissemination of promising practices nationally.
• Introduce innovative approaches and good practice to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders and to support the POC implementation
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best and cutting-edge practices in HIV diagnostics and POC. Institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Develop, build and maintain partnerships to improve the health and HIV/AIDS response on Diagnostics and laboratories.
• Mobilize resources for Diagnostics and laboratories

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• HIV/AIDS laboratories, Diagnostics, and Supplies management

  For every Child, you demonstrate

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

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:

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, by local or other applicable laws.