National Consultant- HIV Early Infant Diagnosis and Viral Load Point of Care Consultant, Ghana Accra, 3 months, Field work

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

In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfill their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

Ghana is committed to the virtual elimination of MTCT of HIV and has adopted the global MTCT rate of 5% or less as the benchmark for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

As of December 2020, the country stood at 63-95-73 with the global 90-90-90 targets. Contributing to this are the huge gaps was paediatric HIV. Testing and treatment coverage for pregnant women at ANC was sub-optimal. Of the estimated pregnant women in respective years, the highest testing coverage was 76%, with a generally reducing coverage. Furthermore, for the HIV positive pregnant women diagnosed, less than 90% were put on ARVs.The unmet targets are incorporated into the 95.95.95 fast track targets to be achieved within the NSP 2021-2025 period.

Point-of-care (POC) technologies for HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) and Viral Load (VL) testing pilot in comparison to the conventional platforms have reduced requirements for infrastructure and training, offers countries a unique opportunity to expand EID and VL testing services. The National AIDS Control Program has successfully initiated the POC EID and VL in the 5 pilot districts with scale up to 10 additional sites across the country.

How can you make a difference?

The overall objective of this consultancy is to document Ghana’s experience at the pilot sites and make recommendation for full scale national roll out of POC for HIV EID and (VL) testing in Ghana.

Tasks to be completed

• Hold consultations with National AIDS Control Program, Eastern Regional Health Directorate, District Health Directorate and Health facilities to solicit information
• Observe and assess the coverage and scope of the HIV POC EID and VL, how referrals are done and tracked by the health service
• Document information sources, tools, documentation protocols and forms used by health service providers to refer mothers and babies for HIV POC EID and VL
• Document best practices, innovations and lessons learned from service providers
• Document gaps and major challenges/barriers affecting service delivery including any specific barriers
• Provide key recommendations for national scale up.
• Finalize a detailed written report to be shared with policy makers

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

• An advanced University Degree (at least at master’s level) in Public Health, Laboratory Sciences, Infectious Diseases, or Social / Behavioural sciences.
• Minimum of five years or more of experience in strategic programme development, monitoring, and evaluation in the field of health, and other social development areas.
• Analytical, conceptual ability; skills in communication and documenting
• Previous working experience on documentation of health programmes, especially focusing on laboratory systems strengthening, HIV diagnosis, medical laboratory sciences will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English- communication, report writing with critical analysis. Fluency in the local language(s) widely spoken in the implementing areas will be an added advantage
• Ability to work with people and meet deliverables within tight schedules

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.