Job ID

2024-5980

Location

CM-Garoua

Category

International Positions

Employment Status

Full-Time

Jhpiego is recruiting a Malaria in Pregnancy (MIP) and Case Management (CM) Specialist to provide technical and program oversight and direction in the areas of malaria in pregnancy and case management for the USAID Cameroon funded project entitled Systems to End the Malaria Burden Through Meaningful Engagement—II (SEMBE II)).

The program will 1) strengthen malaria prevention and case management activities at health facilities and community level, 2) build management capacity of the district and regional level to provide oversight/supervision of malaria interventions, 3) improve data reporting, analysis, and use for decision-making by strengthening the HMIS. The program will operate over a five-year period in North region of Cameroon.

Responsibilities include providing leadership and technical guidance in the development and implementation of MIP and CM activities at district facilities, promoting the uptake of intermittent prevention of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp), participating in district MIP technical advisory groups, and improving databases that monitor MIP achievements. This position will ensure the technical and methodological soundness of activities and, in collaboration with the project team and partners, support the design of service delivery strategies, based on sound and current scientific evidence (Participating at National Malaria Case Management and National iCCM/IMCI Technical Working Groups)

LOCATION: Garoua,  Cameroon - (This position is subject to Cameroon labor law and practice and is not eligible for international assignment work conditions )

REPORTING TO: Technical Director

Supervision: TSQs (Training Supervision Quality specialist)

Leadership

• Provide technical oversight, strategic direction and ensure appropriate support for the implementation of program activities in MIP  and CM at regional, district level in coordination with technical Director
• Promote WHO’s new recommendations on intermittent prevention of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) uptake and guidelines, as a core component of the WHO three-pronged approach
• Continue to support National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and regional, District Health Management Teams to include male involvement in MIP to improve IPTp uptake.
• Assist in sustaining and improving existing databases that monitor achievements in MIP and CM at district and contribute to regional and national level achievements
• Develop and implement a capacity building plan for local partners to apply MIP strategies for malaria prevention and treatment
• Provide leadership in creating demand for antenatal care services and MIP services through community approaches targeting pregnant women
• Guide the integration of MIP services with maternal, newborn and child health

• Support coordination at national level through the NMCP and participate in the National malaria Case Management TWGs, and iCCM TWG, contributing technical updates, and documenting action plans. 
• Participate in the updating of the refresher curriculum for malaria case management to reflect updated National Malaria Treatment Guidelines
• Facilitate the rollout of the guidelines by facilitating in a training of trainers at national level Ensure use of reviewed evidence-based clinical training materials, job aids, and curricula, supervisory systems and other training materials for implementation of MIP and CM in line with the needs of USAID and the Government of Cameroon
• Provide mentoring and capacity building at the individual and organizational level in MIP prevention and treatment
• Lead “train the trainer” sessions, site strengthening, in-service and/or pre-service education, follow-up and supportive supervision to project-supported health facilities, as required by program activities
• Work with colleagues to develop a cadre of MIP champions who will facilitate links to other community-level health programs/services
• Coordinate assessments, site strengthening, follow-up and supervision, advocacy, demand creation, policy support, capacity-building and M&E across program sites as required by program activities
• Lead the formulation of approaches for scale up of MIP services in districts, including accessing hard-to-reach populations and integration of services
• Support the NMCP to revitalize and coordinate MIP and CM technical working groups at national and district levels. Actively participate in MIP and CM technical advisory group meetings, and represent Jhpiego in professional forums by participating and presenting in pertinent meetings and conferences
• Analyze potential MIP strategies within the context of the program and explain these, as necessary, to policymakers, funding agencies, and/or program staff
• Work with health care providers, local authorities, community members and program team members to identify clinical, community-based service delivery issues that impede access to care
• Identify appropriate facility- and community-based strategies to address MIP and CM service delivery gaps
• Identify clinical training needs and assist in the design and implementation of measures to address those needs
• Formulate and test sustainable solutions to service delivery gaps, utilizing cross-cutting approaches such as performance and quality improvement and in-service training/pre-service education
• Advocate with national, provincial, district and community-level health institutions to raise awareness about their role in improving health outcomes in MIP and CM
• Guide DHMTs, professional associations, other district stakeholders in the use of evidenced-based standards for competency in MIP
• Mobilize national level clinical/technical expertise to resolve clinical issues that affect local public policy or program design
• Collaborate with all local stakeholders and implementing partners, especially the Ministry of Health, and other implementing partners, in order to ensure that all activities conform to the national requirements and regulations
• Conduct regular reporting to the senior malaria advisor/Technical Director, and program and technical staff, of successes, challenges and lessons learned in implementation related to areas of technical expertise
• Document and maintain an inventory of successful tools and approaches for MIP
• Lead in development and submission of abstracts, papers and presentations to  journals and conferences

Management:

• Contribute to annual work planning and preparation of donor reports
• Work collaboratively with finance staff to prepare activity budgets and track expenditures
• Contribute to maintaining excellent relationships with USAID Cameroon and in-country stakeholders and develop rapid responses to USAID/DC and Mission requests
• Work closely with the Technical Team on setting program priorities and directions, and responding to requests for support from local counterparts.
• Work with M&E staff to design, implement a plan to track data/results related to maternal, newborn and child health
• Contribute to development of the project strategic plan, work plan, and program monitoring, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, USAID and other stakeholders
• Ensure timely implementation of all program inputs related to MIP and CM , including planning and implementing assessments, site strengthening, follow-up and supervision, advocacy, demand creation, policy support, capacity-building and M&E across program sites, in close coordination and collaboration with USAID, relevant ministries of health
• Oversee data collection, analysis and development of conclusions and recommendations to further strengthen program implementation

Ensure availability of resources and supplies required for MIP and CM activities implementation

• A Master’s in Public Health, licentiate or nurse or medical doctor 
• At least 7 years’ experience applying malaria in pregnancy programs;
• Qualification as a “master trainer”; experience training health workers on clinical aspects related to family planning/reproductive health/Malaria
• Experience building capacity at individual and organizational levels
• Skill in at least two or more of the following technical areas: strengthening service delivery programs, training, pre-service education, performance and quality improvement, monitoring and evaluation
• Experience with a mix of practical technical skills in malaria necessary for strengthening malaria service delivery at the provincial, clinical and community-level
• The ability to liaise with senior MOH officials and dignitaries, executives of NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, the for-profit business community, and senior members of the donor community;
• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of Cameroonian healthcare system, particularly the public health system, experience living and working in Cameroon preferred
• Strong oral and written communication and presentations skills in or French
• Strong skills in word processing and Excel spread sheets
• Familiarity with USAID or other USG administrative, management and reporting procedures and systems
• Proven track record managing a project team composed of several technical experts and fostering team work
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff in the areas
• Excellent written, presentation, communication and organizational skills in French
• Ability to travel up to 50% time