Country: Guinea-Bissau
Closing date: 25 Sep 2015
.Essential Job Duties/Scope of Work:
International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
International Medical Corps is responding to the humanitarian crisis in West Africa and is seeking candidates who are willing to be considered for positions in an anticipated program in Guinea-Bissau.
The scope of the Technical Advisor is to support Ministry of Health and in particular INASA in reviewing, adapting and adopting relevant policies, guidelines, procedures, training curriculum and monitoring and evaluation tools in the area of Health Surveillance, Outbreak Response and Bio-safety in view of strengthening the National and International health safety and the overall health system of Guinea Bissau.
TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The Technical Advisor will fulfill the following functions:
Health Surveillance & Outbreaks Response
- Facilitate national coordination to advocate for and strengthen the community component and the overall health surveillance system
- Support and revise the community based surveillance strategy and to promote the integration of the community component in the overall health surveillance system
- Facilitate national joint supervisory visits, with MOH and other Partners, to selected health areas in order to assess and address gaps in the health surveillance system at field/community level
- In collaboration with MOH, WHO and other partners, organize workshops to review and adapt guidelines, protocols and training materials for the implementation of both syndrome and event-based surveillance systems at community level.
- Identify with MOH priority outbreak-prone diseases to be addressed in terms of capacity building for health staff
- Review and adapt guidelines on outbreak rapid response models through rapid response teams
- Review and adapt guidelines on case management for priority outbreak-prone diseases
Bio-safety - Assess existing bio-security/-safety policies and standards, current capacity and practices
- Organize a scientific conference in Bissau, with international guests, to share updated knowledge and best practices in the field of bio-security/-safety
- Support MOH in establishing/revitalizing a national task force on bio-security/-safety
- Facilitate national workshops, with MOH and other partners, to accelerate the development of a 5 year national strategic plan on bio-security/-safety
- Facilitate national workshop to review and adapt guidelines and tools for evaluating bio-security/-safety practices at hospital and health facility level
- Facilitate national workshop with MOH and other Partners to review and adapt training, supervision guidelines on bio-security/-safety practices
- Develop practical guidelines and posters on the appropriate use of PPE and other IPC measures
Qualifications: Skills & Requirements:
• Fluency in Portuguese required
• Experience as technical trainer and/or as director of health-related training institute
• Minimum of masters in nursing or medical degree with a Master’s in Public Health preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in overseas humanitarian programs (preferably in developing country or low-resource setting with an NGO) at a senior level relating to infectious diseases, secondary health care and communicable diseases
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written; fluency in English required
• Experience in effectively dealing with international and headquarters staff, as well as donor agencies
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions independently
• Extremely flexible and have the ability to cope with stressful situations and frustrations
• Ability to relate to and motivate staff effectively, be self-motivated
• Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources
• Skills and knowledge in competency-based training
• Proven capabilities in leadership
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal and organization skills, understanding of the extreme nature of this outbreak.
How to apply:
To officially begin the application process, qualified candidates please go to our career page http://careers.internationalmedicalcorps.org/careers.aspx , noting where you noticed the position you are applying for and complete the online employment application form.