Laboratory Consultant (ASCENT DR-TB project) KE 002

KNCV Ethiopia 

KNCV Ethiopia is a local nonprofit organization established in Ethiopia and registered and accorded legal personality with registry number 7336 as a local organization in accordance with the civil society organization proclamation No 1113/2019. KNCV Ethiopia is dedicated to fight and end human suffering from TB and other related diseases in Ethiopia and support the country toward achieving the global END TB strategy. KNCV Ethiopia works toward contributing in the reduction of TB and related diseases in the country through implementation projects, research, and evidence generation.

Background

Every year around half a million people develop RR/MDR-TB which is a massive public health concern and a burden to the communities. Currently, treatment regimens are longer (9-18 months) with pill burden, toxicity and a treatment success rate of only around 60%. The newer all-oral regimens have shorter treatment duration (6 – 9 months), less toxicity and hold the promise to achieve better treatment success rates among eligible RR/MDR-TB/Pre-XDR-TB patients of up to 90%.

The ASCENT DR-TB project is a multi-country project with a plan of supporting the country to create the conditions for successful implementation of the latest recommended shorter treatment regimens and build-up capacity to introduce any future WHO recommendations through self-assessment, gap identification, and periodizing the identified gaps for technical assistance.

Therefore, the project is designed with goals to contribute to the operationalization of DR-TB regimens as part of a comprehensive care cascade and differentiated supportive people-centred packages of care, to promote and facilitate sharing of experiences and best practices between stakeholders globally, regionally, and between project countries to accelerate implementation and scaling- up of better and shorter regimens for RR/MDR-TB and to contribute to securing a global affordable market for key drugs and secure appropriate equitable access conditions for TB health technology products.

Purpose of the position and organizational position

The project will be implemented in South Ethiopia regional state to support the implementation of the major gap-filling intervention to improve the performance of the treatment initiation centers in the region in terms of Clinical investigation and safety monitoring, aDSM, and engagement of patient support groups, community health workers and community-based or civil society organizations in short DR-TB regimen implementation.

The Laboratory consultant is expected to coordinate, monitor, and technically support the laboratory-related project implementation working in very close coordination with  NTLLD program, South Ethiopia RHB,  the five treatment initiation centers in the region and the project team.

Place in the organization

The Laboratory Consultant reports both hierarchically and functionally to the Executive Director of KNCV Ethiopia.

As Laboratory Consultant  you will:-

• Lead the development of training material for the Laboratory related activities to be provided throughout the project
• Develop new or customize already existing SOPs and job aids that are to be used at the lab level throughout the project period and beyond
• Adopt, develop, or customize a list of Critical or Panic results that are in line with the expected AEs or SAEs related to DR-TB treatment and to be available at the Laboratory on the desk
• Work on capacity building of the health professionals especially the Laboratory professionals of the selected health facilities
• Strengthening the role of facility staff in playing a role in AEs and SAEs detection and reporting
• Work on the preparation of training materials that are to be used to train the Lab personnel
• Do mentoring and supportive supervision of the Laboratory professionals on project-related activities and lab activities
• Liaise with the laboratory professionals and ensure the activities are taking place according to the project plan
• Devise a strategy on how to create a communication platform between the lab professionals and the clinicians to enable timely communication, timely treatment and timely reporting of AEs and SAEs take place
• Ensure that critical or panic result reporting is done according to the NTLLD guideline
• Monitor the progress of the project with regard to laboratory-related activities
• Provide insightful views on challenges faced by the Laboratory department, mitigation plans, and lessons learned on Laboratory TWG
• Ensure specimen transportation takes place according to the SOP to ensure quality
• Ensure the scheduled tests are performed for those with DR-TB as per the NTLLD guideline
• Provide status updates on the regular meetings to be held throughout the project
• Represent the project in different platforms and provide the necessary update
• Liaise with the personnel responsible from NTLLP, RHB, TICs and other stakeholders to facilitate project implementation
• Other related necessary duties as per the supervisor’s request