WHO is recruiting a national consultant

RECRUITMENT OF NATIONAL CONSULTANTS FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR ADDITIONAL VACCINATION ACTIVITIES WITH THE NEW OPV2 (nOPV2) IN CAMEROON

Terms of reference Job

title: Epidemiologist / Public Health for the response to the cVDPV2 epidemic with the new OPV2
Duration : Three (3) months
Duty Station: North West and South West Regions; Littoral and western border health districts in the North-West and South-West.

1. Background and rationale

The current context is marked by the detection of four cVDPV2 detected in Cameroon in the Far North Region, particularly in the health districts (DS) of Goulfey, Fotokol and Kousseri. These are three human cases and one positive environmental sample. The viruses detected in Cameroon were of the same emergence (NIE-ZAS-1), initially identified in Nigeria. The confirmation of these cases comes in a context marked by the recognition as of December 31, 2021 in Nigeria of 920 cVDPV2 detected from all sources, including 767 detected in the last six months, indicating an escalation of the epidemic. Four states in Nigeria (Borno, Adamawa, Benue and Taraba) bordering Cameroon are also epidemic hotspots.
At the same time, the performance analysis of routine vaccination coverage in the Far North region with OPV3 and IPV remains suboptimal over the past three years compared to the objectives set despite the many efforts made.
It is within this framework that the Ministry of Public Health through the Expanded Vaccination Program plans to organize a response vaccination campaign in 2 rounds in the 10 regions of Cameroon in synchronization with neighboring States. These campaigns aim to strengthen the immunity of children aged 0 to 59 months, including refugees and nomads, and to limit the occurrence of post-campaign cVDPV2 cases.
To this end, the WHO offers its technical support through the recruitment of 44 qualified health workers in the North-West and South-West Regions and the Health Districts of the Littoral, from the West border to the North-West. and Southwest.

2. Description of activities

• 100% of preparatory meetings are organized by the health district (DS)
• 100% of DS reach at least 90% of preparations one week before the campaign in the preparations tracking tool (dashboard)
• Ensure that 100% of cross-border DS hold at least one cross-border meeting per week
• Ensure that 100% of Health Areas list the children lost to sight before the start of training and give these lists to the relay/mobilizers in order to recover them and that at least 80% of these children lost to sight are recovered during SIAs
• Ensure that 100% of Health Areas carry out detailed micro-planning specifying the following elements: the list of names of vaccinators, mobilizers, supervisors of vaccinators and mobilizers, criers, vial monitors and supervisor of monitors, areas difficult access points and the specific strategies to wait for them, the deployment and progression plan for each team and the supervisors from D1 to D3
• Ensure that 100% of supervisors use ODK supervision checklists before SIAs;
• Support the DS in training and briefing outreach supervisors and vaccination teams
• Provide support for information and the daily dispatch of the Dashboard
• Ensure the effectiveness and quality of the mob soc;
• Collect all missing DS information
• Check that everything needed for the DS has been sent (vaccines and inputs, management tools)
• Master the different tools used

• Work to ensure that during SIAs:

• 100% of supervisors at all levels use ODK supervision checklists during SIAs
• 100% administers the household MI questionnaire to 90 parents/caregivers (i.e. 9 forms) per day during the SIAs (MI in-process) and provides feedback to the local SIA coordination for corrective action
• Support the DS in the development of a supervision work plan and ensure its implementation
• Recall the instructions on the management of funds (State, WHO and UNICEF) and the supporting documents
• Assist the DS in the monitoring and analysis of data throughout the duration of the supervision
• Conduct internal quality monitoring and exploit the results
• Support the DS in the management of vaccines and inputs (daily monitoring of vials, etc.)
• Follow the management of refusal cases
• Keep the coordination informed of the evolution of day-to-day activities
• Assist in data synthesis / data filling in the EXCEL MASK
• Ensure the effectiveness of local supervision
• Ensure the notification and validation of cases of diseases under surveillance detected
• Search and return all tOPV vials (containment) to the field

Work to ensure that after the campaign:

• 100% of recruited IMs are independent of vaccination activities and that a new recruitment is made for each round;
• 100% of IMs administer the household IM questionnaire to 60 parents/guardians (i.e. 6 forms) and the non-household IM questionnaire to 30 parents/guardians (i.e. 3 forms) per day (IM end-process) and provides feedback to local SIA coordination for corrective action with the start of LQAS
• 100% of LQAS investigators respect the clusters drawn by the central coordination and that feedback is given to the local AVS coordination for corrective action before the evaluation meeting
• Do the Debriefing at the DS
• Ensure poorly vaccinated areas are revaccinated
• Assist the sub-committee in charge of coordination and reporting in the preparation of the final report
• Follow the transmission to the next level of all supporting documents for the campaign
• Bring back all missing reports (PEVR, Disease Surveillance, Supporting documents, etc.)
• Coordination and Other Considerations
• Perform any other EPI-related tasks that may be requested or entrusted by the hierarchy
• Support the regions in the implementation of routine vaccination activities and monitoring of VPDs

3. Qualifications required

• Essential: Graduate degree in public health, epidemiology
• Desirable: Vaccination training

• Experience and professional knowledge

• Have a good knowledge of the Cameroonian health system and the EPI
• At least two years of professional experience in the field of vaccination
• Have the ability to prepare, lead and summarize meetings
• Ability to work independently, under pressure and to take initiative
• Have advanced organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks at once
• Have knowledge of the Microsoft Office package (Word, Excell, Power point, etc.) and ODK
• Experience working with an international organization would be an asset.

• Language skills

• Thorough knowledge (spoken and written) of English or French and a working knowledge of the other.

• Team working
• Respect and promote individual and cultural differences
• Have good communication skills
• Build and promote partnerships across the organization and beyond
• Ensure the efficient use of resources
• Be available to work in the districts of the North West and South West Regions