UNV Tuberculosis Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The TB Specialist in Kiribati will support the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in effective TB response. Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Communicable Diseases Manager, the TB Specialist is responsible for support to TB Programme in Kiribati focusing on provision of clinical and technical support as well as mentorship to the medical staff.

The TB Specialist will function under the overall direction and technical guidance of the immediate supervisor at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and will have a close working relationship with relevant professional and administrative staff in the UNDP Global Fund Team and with WHO Regional TB Advisor based in Suva, Fiji. The TB Specialist will work with the National Government to facilitate coordinated approaches in the implementation of the various projects and initiatives within TB Programme.

This position requires a responsible medical/health professional to work in the development, coordination and implementation of efforts to decrease incidence of TB Kiribati through the provision of preventive measures, early diagnosis, treatment, care, management and support. The selected candidate serves as the support for day-to-day TB program management; and a technical personal on TB. Under the general supervision of the Communicable Diseases Coordinator, the incumbent exercises judgment and discretion to ensure program desired outcomes are achieved. The role of the TB Medical Specialist includes the following key activities and functions:

· Facilitate the provision of comprehensive TB services within the Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

· Support in the identification, assessment, screening and evaluation of contacts who may have been exposed to a person with TB, develop screening plans and strategies, evaluate screening results and ensure further screening is progressed as required in collaboration with TB clinicians.

· Facilitate TB case detection and diagnosis through active case finding.

· Support TB preventive activities such as outreach, training and workshops for key popula-tions.

· Support the development of TB workplan for UNDP multi-country grant and facilitate im-plementation of endorsed activities in the workplan.

· Implement TB Strategies in accordance with the TB Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of TB and other relevant policies and guidelines.

· Support case management model of care within the MoH TB Service.

· Facilitate evaluation of TB clinical services within the MoH and provide technical and stra-tegic advice on the delivery of care for patients with TB.

· Monitor and support adherence to TB drugs

· Ensure HIV screening to all TB patients and vice versa.

Data management

· Support collection, collating and entering data relating to cases of TB into the TB register and database.

· Using local surveillance data to inform needs based TB/HIV services for the local popula-tion.

· Collaborating with the Public Health Unit to maintain timely and high quality local disease surveillance.

· Collaborating with the Chief Public Health and Epidemiologist (through the regular tech-nical supporting mechanisms) to ensure national and donor TB surveillance reporting re-quirements are met. · Supporting submission of timely reports to MoH senior management for endorsement, prior to submitting to donor agencies accompanied with supporting documents.

· Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take own-ership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confi-dentially; responsive and client-oriented.

· Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations.

· Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work envi-ronment.

· Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish prior-ities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.

· Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious work-ing relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender;

· Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military person-nel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse back-grounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

· Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, re-mote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of oper-ations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary;

· Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes sol-idarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

clinicial Tuberculosis . Public health experience is a strong asset. The candidate should be clinically competent and preferably a medical doctor. The candidate should be able to read X-rays, make clinicial judgements to rule out other differentials of EPTB like effusions, and discern treatment in patients with comorbidities like HIV and diabetes. A strong TB clinical background is essential to manage the task.

Kiribati consists of 33 low-lying atolls spanning an area of 3.5 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean and is constrained by geographical isolation, high transport and communication costs and a very poor resource base. The total land area is 811 square kilometres and 21 of the 33 atolls are inhabited. Most of the country is low-lying and vulnerable to the effects of climate change on average sea level.

In 2015 Kiribati was classified by the United Nations (UN) Committee for Development Policy (CDP) as a Least Developed Country (LDC).1 Kiribati is one of the poorest countries in the Pacific with uncertain economic growth. About 66% of the population has been rated as poor or vulnerable.2

The 2020 Kiribati national census recorded the total population as 119,438.3 The population is increasingly urban: more than half of the population (52.8%) resides on South Tarawa, which is very densely populated. Population density in parts of South Tarawa has reached as much as 8,000 persons per square kilometre, making it one of the most densely populated islands in the world.3

Basic development indicators for health, education and life expectancy at birth in Kiribati are among the poorest in the Pacific. There has been a steady improvement in life expectancy at birth over the last two decades.

Leprosy remains a high burden disease in Kiribati when compared with other neighbouring Pacific island nations. The National Leprosy Program’s (NLP) community outreach focus, in-cluding screening of contact(s) and schools, has led to newly diagnosed cases of leprosy every year.

TB is a major public health problem in Kiribati. Total cases reported in 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 409, 385 and 330 respectively. The reported number of cases of 516 in 2015 is the high-est number of cases recorded in recent history and among the highest in WHO’s Western Pacific region.

Globally, children aged under 15 years accounted for 14% of the new cases notified in 2021. A high proportion of TB has been detected in children in four Pacific island countries (Kiribati, Guam, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu) with 20% or more of all TB occurring in paediatric patients.

The prevalence of diabetes in Kiribati is very high at 22% (adults over 18 years) compared to 8.5% globally.4 Diabetes triples the risk of active TB5 and is also a risk factor for adverse TB treatment outcomes, including death. Growth in this double burden creates additional obsta-cles for TB care and prevention.6

Lack of doctors and nurses in TB and leprosy programme is one of the main challenges the national health system faces. There is one TB/ HIV doctor, one TB Coordinator, 7 DOTS work-ers and 6 nurses for the whole national TB programme.

Due to high TB caseload, lack of staff and significant gaps in TB response, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services of Kiribati requested support in TB clinical capacity building, men-torship, programme management and reporting.

The duty station classification for Kiribati is “non-family”.