Job Description
ICAP at Columbia University, a global health leader situated within the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, seeks highly qualified candidates to serve as Regional HIV Case Surveillance Advisor to be based in Mekele-Ethiopia. The incumbent will be responsible for planning, organizing, and facilitating capacity-building training; initiating surveillance activities; and supervising HIV CS implementation activities in the region. Will also coordinates continuous monitoring of HIV CS implementing health facilities, including site readiness assessment, supportive supervision, and mentorship on the implementation of HIV CS and RITA in Tigray Regional.
Summary of Position
Under the guidance of the ICAP Regional Director and regional HIV CS coordinator, the
regional HIV Case Surveillance advisor will work closely with the Regional Health Bureau
(RHB), ICAP’s Regional director, and other ICAP surveillance team members. He/she is in
charge of planning, organizing, and facilitating capacity-building training; initiating
surveillance activities; and supervising HIV CS implementation activities in the region. He/she also coordinates continuous monitoring of HIV CS implementing health facilities, including site readiness assessment, supportive supervision, and mentorship on the implementation of HIV CS and RITA. Overall, the HIV CS advisor oversees the day-to-day activities of HIV CS implementation, including monitoring the availability of the necessary materials, data collection processes, reviewing data, data entry, and ensuring the proper conduct of the surveillance system and the quality of data it produces. The CS advisor also undertakes data analysis, produces periodic surveillance reports, and communicates the findings with the responsible stakeholders.
PRIMARY DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Provide technical assistance to the RHB in planning, capacity building, and
implementing HIV CS
• Actively work with the central and regional ICAP SI members in coordinating and
cascading the HIV CS system into selected health facilities,
• Conduct and coordinate site readiness assessment for new HIV CS health facilities,
• Ensure that the health facilities have the necessary supplies for HIV CS such as a
lockable file cabinet, 3G Dongle, CRF pad, a recency kit, SOPs, and registers,
• Ensure RITA is conducted for all eligible HIV infected cases at health facilities including
the implementation of QC methods by review the results,
• Ensure the implementation of individual level response in all the CS facilities using
the SOP and individual level response tracker,
• Prepare weekly activity plan and submit performance report to the central
coordinators,
• Conduct continuous and periodic monitoring of health facilities implementing HIV CS.
• Provide technical assistance and on-the-job training on CS documentation and
reporting,
• Ensure data quality mainly data completeness (Form, report/event,
representativeness), timeliness, and accuracy/validity in the health facilities
• Provide support for the RHB in data analysis, visualization, and communication of the
findings to promote data use at different levels such as towns, woredas, and facilities.
• Apply informatics principles, such as data collection, processing, and analysis, to
support epidemiologic practice,
• Formulate new interventions based on evidence when available, and control
measures in response to epidemiologic findings,
• Closely follow and support the selected show-case CS facilities that serve as model to
in all aspects of the HIV CS activities,
• Participate in supportive supervisions at national, regional, and sub-regional level,
• Facilitate regional, zonal and Woreda level review meetings,
• Carry out other activities as needed.
QUALIFICATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
• MD or MPH (health and health-related background)
• A minimum of Five (5) years of research, survey, and public health surveillance
experience is required.
• Experience in HIV/AIDS epidemic investigation and response as well as is an added
advantage.
• Previous experience working at RHBs or EPHI or international implementing partners
on HIV Case Surveillance is advantageous.
• The incumbent needs to have basic computer skills in Epi Info, SPSS, and STATA, as
well as experience in database visualization.
• Strong oral and written skills in English