MNCH Technical Assistant

LonAdd HR Consultancy Plc (www.lonadd.com) is a Recruitment & Outsourcing Company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with branch offices in Dukem and Hawassa. We are looking to recruit a qualified applicant for the below post on behalf of our client.

Background

Amhara region has been struggling to restore health services in zones impacted by the devastating impact of the North Ethiopia conflict, which affected almost 50 percent of the region, and caused mass displacement of millions, service interruption and distraction of basic health infrastructures and systems.

A double burden to the region, the Amhara region is currently in state of emergency where the ongoing conflict between the government forces and nonstate armed groups across the region remains tense, deteriorating, and volatile resulting in movement restrictions, and difficulties in the provision of humanitarian assistance.

Due to the recent ongoing conflict in the region, many rural areas have become inaccessible and significant number of health facilities facing a critical shortage of essential drugs and medical supplies. According to the DHIS2 report, MNCH including vaccination service interruption is reported and higher service dropout rate for antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, postnatal care and sick child across the region and particularly significant in West Gojam, East Gojam, North Gojam, South Gondar and Debre Markos zones.

Besides, communicable diseases outbreak has occurred like cholera, malaria, measles, and respiratory infections due to spread of the disease rapidly in such settings, especially where access to healthcare and vaccination services is limited. Because of low latrine utilization, flood risk areas, and low safe water coverage cholera outbreaks has been affecting a total of 4,983 cases and 90 deaths with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 1.81% from 58 districts and 15 zones since July 15/2023 to January 11/2024. Currently, cholera outbreak has been controlled in 51 out of the 58 affected districts. Malaria outbreak has also continued in the region at outbreak level where 37,296 cases were reported in WHO week 51 with 79% report completeness. During the period from Epi week 28-51, a total of 745,857 malaria cases were reported and as compared to same period of 2015 EFY has increased by 102,635 cases (16%) with an average report completeness of 69.5%. Furthermore, the region has been hosting 811,522 internally displaced persons (IDPs), of which 88,608 (11%) are living in 39 collective IDPs sites with limited partner support and essential health services availability.

In response to the crisis and ensuring CLIENT support for the needy women and children at local level, deploying Technical Assistance (TAs)has been very timely and critical to strengthen the government capacity through providing technical assistance, follow-up and monitoring of response activities, ensuring distribution of supplies to end user level, participating in multi-Agency assessments, capacity building of govt partners in conflict affected Zones/woreda/health facilities and supporting zonal health cluster coordination. Thus, with the rationally to ensure CLIENT response in coordination, restoration of services, monitoring of response activities and, capacity building of health workers, it is critically needed to deploy health emergency TAs in most affected zones of East Gojjam and West Gojjam zones.

Justification

As the scale of the ongoing armed war and the subsequent impact on health services with deterioration of access in the region is alarming, zonal technical assistance is highly demanded for local level health emergency responses and MNCH program implementation and ensure the provision of and continuity of primary health care services to the affected communities and the restoration of essential MNCH services in East Gojjam and west Gojjam zones.

Hence, it is realized that there is a critical need for zonal technical assistance to ensure implementation of the humanitarian health response and reporting on results in the above mentioned two zones. The two TAs (one for East Gojjam and one for west Gojjam zones), will be placed in the respective zonal health departments and work with RHBs, zones, woredas and health facilities. The TAs will also provide support to CLIENT Amhara field office in the implementation of the health projects in East Gojjam and west Gojjam zones.

Main duties and responsibilities.

In Coordination with Amhara regional Health Bureau, zonal health departments and CLIENT Amhara field office the post holders will:

• Contribute to the health system strengthening and service restoration in general and the restoration of essential MNCH and of immunization services specifically, in East Gojjam and west Gojjam zones and woredas of Amhara region
• Provide support for strengthening essential health service access, supply, and logistics for IDPs response and other health related emergencies intervention at zone, woreda and site level in accordance with national and regional guidance.
• Provide technical support to conflict affected zones, woredas and health facilities on the adaptation of national health emergency strategies, standards, protocols, guidelines, training manuals and materials for health-related emergencies with specific focus on IDPs response.
• Provide technical support for the implementation, monitoring and reporting on CLIENT health emergency response plan and ensuring that CLIENT mandated emergency interventions in health priority focus areas are implemented, monitored, and managed in a timely and effective manner.
• Provide professional assistance in risk analysis to identify emergency-prone conditions/situations and contribute to timely emergency preparedness.
• In coordination with WHO, collect, interpret and analyze available data on the evolving emergency and its implications to the emergency operation in CLIENT thematic support areas.
• Keeps the effective flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency measures.
• Based on needs assessment, support and facilitate capacity building trainings of zonal/woreda and health facility workers and support for the adherence of government and non-government implementing partners to relevant standards and guidelines.
• Conduct continuous assessment of the occurrence of emergency situations. Collaborate with other partners to make a rapid assessment covering priority areas as defined by the Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian Action. Establishes contact with community groups, government, UN agencies, media and other partners to keep the field office abreast of emergency situations.
• Monitor the proper implementation of the regional IDPs response plan activities and ensure the availability of essential health commodities/supplies and end user monitoring and reporting regularly
• Synergize systematic coordination of appropriate health in emergency operational response plan, with other relevant sectors and among CLIENT nutrition and WASH section.
• Compile accurate and timely emergency related reports on progress made, challenges and opportunities and share to the field office on weekly basis for monitoring progress and input on regional Sitrep for CLIENT Field Office and Ethiopia Country Office
• Collects and analyses lessons learnt from UNICEF's emergency operations experience and contributes towards adoption of the best practices and standards for longer-term emergency interventions.
• Collaborate with WHO to support the regional, zonal and woreda level emergency information management including collecting, analyzing, and reporting of health situation and response interventions in RCCE, supplies and logistics.
• Undertake other relevant tasks as directed by her/ his supervisor and assist with other duties in support of the CLIENT Health program and FO.
• Monitoring strategy
• The Amhara field office will ensure monthly travel plan of the consultants reflect the priority in the specific zones and woredas
• RHB and APHI team will be mobilized to join for the field mission to have common view of gaps and solutions,
• Submitted field reports will be reviewed by the supervisor and filed for action,
• Action points tracker to be developed and tracked before next field mission takes place.

Reporting

Monthly written report on health service restoration, renovation of damaged health facility, IDPs response and other emergency response activity implementation progress to CLIENT FO Health Specialist/ Officer and heads of East Gojjam and west Gojjam zonal health departments.

Payment Modality and Schedule

The fees for this contract shall be paid on monthly basis based on the submission of monthly reports against the deliverables indicated above.

Location Amhara region: East Gojjam and West Gojjam

Duration 12 months with the possibility of extension based on the satisfactory and above performance.

No. required - 2

Expected background and Experience and Competencies

• Advanced university degree in the field of public health, field epidemiology and health related background
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in emergency and experiences working in Ethiopias health sector or NGOs working in emergency
• Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of the national and regional working language is also required.

General conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• The consultants shall be based in D/Markose & Finoteselam towns (one each) and work from the respective zonal health offices with expected visits to woredas, health facilities and IDP sites (as applicable).
• The consultants will be managed under the direct formal supervision of heads of East Gojjam and west Gojjam zonal health departments & the CLIENT FO Health Specialist/Officer.
• The consultant will use rented car through Lendo PLC
• The consultant will be paid monthly upon completion of deliverables as indicated on this TOR and report approved by supervisor through the LonAdd Consultancy PLC