Childhood TB Technical Officer 272 views

JOB DESCRIPTION

Applications are invited from applicants who meet requirements for the post of CHILDHOOD TB TECHNICAL OFFICER in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC).

Reports to: NTP Manager

Job Summary

The main duties of the incumbent are to reduce the paediatric TB diagnostic and treatment gap, increase the uptake of new paediatric fixed-dose combination medicines, as well as scale up treatment of latent TB through innovative models of care for paediatric TB that focus on integration and decentralization

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure that Childhood TB is put high on the National TB Program Agenda
• Support the coordination of the Childhood TB TWG
• Coordinate the conduction of quarterly childhood TB TWG meetings
• Support the implementation of the National TB Strategic plan (2021 -2025)
• Advocate with MCAZ to accelerate registration of New TB medicines for Children
• Advocate with the parliamentary portfolio committee on health for annual national budgets to expand pediatric TB diagnosis and treatment
• Support the TB sample referral system from non-diagnostic sites to pediatric TB diagnostic facilities
• Coordinate the introduction of new Childhood TB diagnostic technologies and medicines through promoting policy dialogues on program areas that require change or new innovative approaches
• Support private-public partnerships to strengthen radiological diagnosis of Childhood TB
• Support strengthening of the use of alternate sample types (e.g., collection of respiratory, stool and other non-respiratory samples) in diagnosing TB in children
• Support the use and roll-out of TB LAM test in children
• Support introduction of EMB single dispersible formulation for treatment of drug sensitive TB in HIV co-infected children
• Coordinate implementation of TPT in children including the use of shorter regimens (3RH and 3HP) for treatment of latent TB
• Coordinate the development, printing and distribution of job aids, SOPs for LTBI
• Coordinate the review/development of Childhood TB normative guidelines for treatment adherence support by community health care workers
• Support the subnational level in the implementation of integrated strategies to improve access to TB care in non -TB services accessed by Pediatric population (e.g., MNCH, HIV, nutrition, and other entry points) at facilities
• Facilitate development and implementation of a robust data quality assurance strategy for the TB program, ensuring that data quality assessments are carried out periodically and measures put in place to improve the quality of data.
• Facilitate development and implementation of program optimization and quality improvement plans based on overall program and site performance reviews
• Coordinate compilation of data reports and inputting of data in all program reports including quarterly and annual reports.
• Support the development of national TB guidelines and training materials in line with international standards and best practices for implementing TB and TB/HIV activities.
• Support introduction of new TB diagnostic technologies and medicines through promoting policy dialogues on program areas that require change or new innovative approaches.
• Support introduction, systemic decentralization and monitoring of new Childhood TB diagnostics and treatment services.
• Support the national TB program to implement a public health, evidence based, data driven and human rights compliant Childhood TB and HIV response.
• Facilitate Childhood TB program research and evaluation activities including development of study tools and data management systems, data analysis, report writing and dissemination of findings.
• Spearhead the documentation and dissemination of “lessons learned” though technical reports, conference abstracts and manuscripts.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by supervisors.

Scope: Coordination of Childhood TB Response within the NTP

Expected outputs/outcomes

• Increase in Childhood TB notifications
• Reduction in morbidity and mortality associated with pediatric TB

Qualifications

• Medical doctor with a Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics or other relevant advanced degree with a strong background in Statistics.
• Sound training and experience in clinical management of TB

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• At least 5 years proven working experience at provincial or national level in planning, training, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and implementation of public health activities related to TB control.
• At least 2 years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS and TB control programs.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (English and Shona or Ndebele).
• Ability to network, interact and influence at policy, provincial, district and facility level.
• Excellent computer and word processing skills.
• Strong analytical and report writing skills.
• Valid Registration with the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe
• Ability to travel regularly within and outside the country