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Zonal-Level COVAX Technical Assistance (TA), Amhara National Regional State Health Bureau; October 21 2022
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Organization: Amhara National Regional State Health Bureau

Position:  Zonal-Level COVAX Technical Assistance (TA)

Location: South Wollo Zone Health Department and Oromiya Special Zone Health Department

Employment: Contract

Date of Announcement: October 19 2022

Deadline: October 27 2022

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Terms of Reference (TOR)

Title: Zonal-Level COVAX Technical Assistance (TA), Ethiopia

 

Job description

 

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 was initially reported from wuhan, China, in December 2019 and currently the disease is a global pandemic affecting all countries, including our country Ethiopia. The global COVID-19 pandemic has been exerting high negative impacts on the health, social and economic wellbeing of people in our country.

The Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with partners, has been working on the prevention and response of COVID-19 pandemic to halt its spread and reduce the negative impact of the pandemic. So far Ethiopia received 14.4 million dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine introduction will be undertaken in a phased approach based on population risk levels, global availability of Covid-19 vaccines, and operational feasibility. Recently as the vaccine supply increased significantly the need for target shifting was made and it is decided for all people above 18 years old and above for AstraZeneca, Sino pharm and Janssen Vaccines and 12 years and above for Pfizer vaccine.

Since the launching of Covid-19 Vaccine in Ethiopia on 13th March,2021 a total of 8,817,390 target population get vaccinated. The vaccine uptake by the target population took prolonged time as primarily expected due to the vaccine hesitancy caused by mis-information and rumors. However, due to the low coverage of the population and the continued existence of the pandemic, collaborative action to mitigate the pandemic, intensification of the control and prevention measures, intensified demand promotion and social mobilization activities, continued logistics supply and strengthened monitoring and evaluation activities are very crucial to be continued for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout implementation.

Purpose: To provide technical assistance on the regional COVID-19 vaccine Rollout support & routine immunization in the planning and coordination, advocacy communication and social mobilization activities, cold chain and vaccine management, AEFI surveillance and monitoring, capacity building activities regarding COVID-19 vaccine and the overall monitoring and evaluation of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Duties and responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Regional MCH Director or process owner, the technical assistant will support the regional COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The duties and responsibilities will include;

• Provide technical support to the functions of the zonal taskforces and zonal TWG as setting agendas, meeting procedures and ensure that decisions and action points are being followed-up and implemented, participate in the meeting regularly and minute taking.

• Support the region to establish and /or revitalized the command post(Zonal COVID-19 task force and TWGs to support the service delivery, vaccine cold chain & logistics, demand generation and communication, targeting ( Microplainning) COVID-19 surveillance, monitoring and evaluation of the coverage among at-risk group and monitoring of vaccine impacts, safety of vaccine AEFI (Adverse Events following immunization) detection and response.

• Support the zone in the revision/customization of the nationally developed manuals, guideline, SOP, TOR and training materials.

• Provide technical assistance at zone and lower level to estimate potential numbers of target population that will be,prioritized for access to vaccines stratified by target group and geographic location.

• Provide technical assistance in the development and revision of training materials by adapting and translating training materials developed by FMOH

• Develop training plan that include key groups of participants, content topic areas, key training partners and training methods and conduct training vaccinators, supervisors and other who participate in the vaccination.

• Develop and adapt existing surveillance and monitoring framework with a set of recommended indicators (Coverage, acceptability, disease surveillance etc…) for COVID-19 vaccine

• Develop and adapt necessary monitoring tools (Vaccination cards) certificate, facility based register, tally sheets, vaccination reporting formats and analytical tools to monitor progress and coverage

• Identify potential COVID-19 vaccine delivery strategies leveraging both existing vaccination platforms and non-vaccination delivery approaches to best reach identified target groups.

• Conduct ongoing readiness assessment on regular basis for the continued COVID-19 Vaccination rollout and identify areas for support.

• Plan for handling of AEFI if happens and make sure on the availability of AEFI kits and forms

• Support the regional demand promotion and social mobilization activities to increase demand and decrease the vaccine hesitancy.

• Participate in the planning and monitoring of the vaccine distribution and logistics management in the zone.

• Capture and share lesson learned and good practices that can potentially leverage the routine immunization and outbreak response practices.

• Participate in the regional COVAX intra-action review and post introduction evaluation exercise

• Perform any other activity as required by the regional MCH Director/EPI Coordinator

• Ensure the operationalization of COVID 19 precautions during immunization services provision

• Facilitate and monitor timely budget Utilization and liquidation of COVID-19 implementation

• Work closely with health care delivery system in the zone & woreda and health facilities to improve capacity for equity focused EPI planning and preparation of bottom-up community-based micro-plans and resource allocation.

• Support on identifying health system bottlenecks in immunization coverage, inequity, and causalities and identification of priority solutions to address the bottlenecks and causes for high number of Zero dose children

• Ensure that issues identified in high-risk communities are well addressed in the micro plan to ensure no children in those areas are left behind.

• Conduct and ensure monitoring of activities, immunization session, vaccine, temperature, immunization coverage status among high risk community, and cause for unimmunized children

• Provide focused support to MCV2 in respective region/zone and its woredas to improve coverage with till scope of second year life vaccination

• Strengthen implementation of effective vaccine management across the health system.

• Facilitate regular EVM self-assessments, development of improvement plan and support its implementations

• Build capacity of cold chain focal persons at every level to monitor and analyze records from temperature monitoring devices and take actions based on findings

• Identify gaps in the system for CCE handling, maintenance, and operations; facilitate timely resolution

• Support woredas in strengthening the capacity through on-job training, workshops, onsite demonstrations, an providing support materials on routine immunization

• Identify poor performing woredas for focused monitoring and to plan regular supportive supervision visits.

• Actively support periodic regional performance review meetings

• With ZHD surveillance team monitor monthly disease reports, AEFls and rumors, contribute to outbreak
investigations, and facilitate timely and appropriate response.

• Triangulate and use surveillance data for analysis and planning

• Support documentation and dissemination of good practice

• Frequent traveling to woredas as necessary

• summit monthly report the zonal health office deputy head.

Duration of the consultancy – (4 months)

Duty station: South Wollo and Oromiya Special Zone Health Department

Number required – 02

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Job requirements

Functional Skills and Knowledge:

Technical and good communication skills, analytical skills to identify critical issue and good writing skills, knowledge and skills in implementing immunization campaign

Competencies:

1. Communicating in a credible and effective way

2. Fostering integration and teamwork

3. Building and promoting partnership and multi sectarianism.

4. Moving forward in changing environment

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Education (Qualifications):

A minimum of first degree in medical /public Health or related degree in health science.

Experience:

Essential: Over 3 years’ experience in public health programs, preferably in immunization and vaccine preventable disease surveillance. Prior experience of implementing or supporting routine immunization programs at least from Woreda level to higher in a developing country. Previous experience in quantitative and qualitative assessment and data analysis is essential. Having experience on community health projects has and added value.

Language skills: Amharic, English, regional languages would be and asset.

Other skills: Computer literacy: Proficient in use of Microsoft office applications, and statistical software

Salary – Negotiable

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How to Apply

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