Biomedical Technical officer at SHDEPHA+ Kahama

Position: Biomedical Technical officer at SHDEPHA+ Kahama

BACKGROUND

SHDEPHA+ is an acronym for Service, Health, and Development for People living with HIV/AIDS. It is a national non-governmental organization, registered on 21 November 1994 with registration number SO 8216. SHDEPHA+ originated from the initiatives of fifteen people living with HIV/AIDS whose goal was to create a network and to mobilize resources to help people living with HIV/AIDS and to fight the spread of the disease. Although originally focusing on people living with HIV/AIDS, over the years SHDEPHA+ has expanded beyond HIV/AIDS and related issues to other development interventions and now covers both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS with over 65 branches countrywide. Each branch of SHDEPHA+ works independently, developing, managing and implementing its own projects; though all branches share one constitution and registration.
SHDEPHA+ Is currently implementing two big USAID projects namely EpiC and ACHIEVE projects in Shinyanga Region.
Epic is Implemented in partnership with FHI360, as a global project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project is dedicated to achieve and maintain HIV epidemic control. The project provides strategic technical assistance (TA) and direct service delivery (DSD) to break through barriers to 95-95-95 and promote self-reliant management of national HIV programs by improving HIV case-finding, prevention, and treatment programming. EpiC will be implementing an HIV service delivery project among key and priority populations, adolescent girls, and young women (AGYW) which aims to reduce HIV infections in pursuit of reaching 95-95-95 goals. To achieve this goal, the program will support targeted prevention and case finding strategies at community level among the targeted populations.
Adolescents and Children HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment, and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) is implemented in partnership with PACT as a global effort to reach and sustain HIV epidemic control among pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescents, infants, and children. The project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and works with national governments, and existing response partners to identify gaps in HIV prevention and treatment programming among target populations. ACHIEVE initiatives aims to address the needs of children, young people, and breast-feeding women affected by HIV. This includes supporting local organizations in serving these populations and ultimately building their capability to receive direct U.S. government funding for programs at scale. The project leverages the full strength of its consortia and related private and public sector stakeholders to support countries attain and sustain HIV epidemic control.
The organization is currently seeking to employee two staff to fill the position for the two above projects

Title: BIOMEDICAL TECHNICAL OFFICER (1Position)

LOCATION: MSALALA DC
CONTRACT DURATION: 11 months (renewable)
Position Overview:
Biomedical Technical officer, will be responsible to coordinate the implementation of EpiC Project biomedical services to the assigned council. He/she will work closely with Central team, RHMT and CHMT to ensure provision of high-quality biomedical services including HIVST, PreP, HTS, Family planning, Screening, and referral for STIs, Gender Based Violence and TB. Also, in coordinating linkages and adherence support for HIV care and treatment to clients in their assigned council.

Roles and Responsibilities:
1) Planning:

a. To participate in the Comprehensive Council Health Plans (CCHP) meetings and ensure USAID EpiC activities are included in the respective CCHP.
b. Liaise with Community Engagement Officers to map hotspots and develop a directory of all hotspots where beneficiaries are found at the council level.
c. Conduct weekly review of the list of indexes developed by service providers and ensure all the providers conduct index testing services with fidelity (index sexual Partners/contacts elicitation and tracing)

ii) Coordination and Supervision:

• With support from the Project Manager & DMO’s office, he/she will be responsible to liaise with DMOs office to secure Government biomedical providers who will provide biomedical services at the community level respectively.
• Actively participate into development of monthly operation plans in close collaboration with community engagement officers for targeted and focused HTS outreaches to the mapped hotspot areas and reach KVPs.
• Assist in organizing training/orientation to biomedical providers to be engaged in USAID EpiC monthly operation plans and maintain the list of Service Providers working with USAID EpiC project.
• Monitor and coordinate community-facility referral and linkages services for health-related services including care and treatment, Family planning, STI&TB screening, and treatment, and GBV services.
• Liaise with DACC and the DMO office to obtain commodities, supplies and government M&E Tools for Biomedical services.
• Supervise biomedical providers and ensure monthly planned activities are implemented and all Service
• Providers are reaching their allotted targets with fidelity.
• Provide technical support and mentorship to the biomedical services providers within the assigned districts to ensure they meet standard of performance as per the government guidelines and project SOPs (including IQC/EQC and proficiency test).
• Work closely with the CHMT members in performance monitoring, joint supportive field supervision at the site/council level and ensure the outcomes of the visits is clearly documented and recommendations implemented.
• Jointly work with facility implementing partners at the council level to develop a sound Bi-directional referral network but also quality of services is provided to KVPs.
• Ensure all service providers properly fill all required National and Project M&E tools and timely submission of service reports appropriately, including monthly summary reports to the catchment health facilities.
• Ensure council service providers are reporting their daily performance through WhatsApp groups and other agreed channels for real time data.
• Develop and timely share daily/weekly updates and monthly reports for all biomedical services.

Qualification and experience

• Bachelor degree in medicine with At least 2 years’ experience working in KVP-focused, HIV/AIDS Community projects
• or certified clinician with good experience of not less than 5 years in HIV/AIDS programs, a sounding knowledge on HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
• A good team player with demonstrated skills and experience in leading and coaching the team.
• Ability to network and maintain professional relationship with the LGA’s and other stakeholders at the Council level
• Excellent written, presentation, communication, and organizational skills in both English and Kiswahili.
• Good understanding of council and regional level healthcare system
• Flexible to work beyond normal working hours

JOB APPLICATION PROCEDURE

• SHDEPHA+ is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of Age, race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.
• METHOD OF APPLICATION;
  All applications are to be lodged through email: [email protected]
  All candidates are required to mention the ‘Position Title’ on the subject line of the e-mail.
  All applicants MUST attach cover letter and their updated Curriculum Vitae with certified copies of academic certificates as supporting documents to their applications.
  For more information, kindly visit our website: https://shdephakahama.org/

PROJECT NAME: ACHIEVE
JOB TITLE: FACILITY HEALTH AND HIV OFFICER – OVC LINKAGE (FHHO) (1 position)
Location: KAHAMA
Reports to: Programs Manager
Contract Duration: 11 months (renewable)

Position Summary:
The overall objective of this position is to contribute towards strategic service delivery to OVCs and their caregivers, address critical barriers to service access, uptake, and adherence to scale up impact service delivery, advance progress towards 95-95-95 goals and improve health and social outcomes among OVC and their families.
The job holder will ensure sound and vibrant bi-directional referral and linkage system, improved case identification, linkages to ART and Viral Load suppression among Children and Adolescents Living with HIV/AIDS.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Represent the SHDEPHA+ and coordinate with the Council Health Management Team regarding HIV and health related activities.
• Hold monthly coordination meetings with Care & Treatment Centers (CTC) in implementation area to support shared confidentiality, facilitate case conferencing, improve the bi-directional referral system, and ensure HIV positive beneficiaries receive needed services.
• Support Early Childhood Development (ECD) corners at targeted health facilities, including regular monitoring and supportive supervision.
• Support the facilities to have an updated enrolment register at the facility that demonstrate the cascade of enrolment of CLHIV at the CTC.
• Support Community Case Workers (CCWs) to work with high pediatric volume CTCs to trace HIV positive OVC who miss appointments, enroll them into ACHIEVE Project, and link them back to CTCs.
• Support CCWs to conduct HIV risk assessments for OVC during case management; refer and link at risk OVC to HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC).
• Schedule quarterly Sexual Reproductive Health Education outreaches to Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), DREAMS Girls in school and organize HTC outreaches for adolescents with high-risk behaviors.
• Work with Health Facility Implementing Partners to roll out a supplemental HIV curriculum to CCWs and ensure CCWs provide appropriate support to HIV positive OVC and caregivers.
• Support CCWs to strengthen the capacity of caregivers to support HIV positive OVC and ensure CCWs refer HIV positive OVC and caregivers to PLHIV support groups.
• Support the roll out of evidence-based curriculums relating to HIV (e.g., Steppingstone, Furaha Lifelong
• Parenting (Sinovuyo), Sexual Reproductive Health Education, Care for Child Development, etc.)
• Support the establishment of a bi-directional referral system to monitor beneficiaries through the HIV continuum of care as well as service completion for other health and social services.
• Monitor implementation, bottlenecks, performance metrics of the bi-directional referral system; pro-actively offer solutions, conduct quality improvement activities, and implement adjustments to improve referral outcomes.
• Participate in quarterly council level quality improvement meetings with relevant bi-directional referral system stakeholders; ensure actions from the meetings are implemented and the bi-directional referral system is improved.
• Work with the M&E officer to ensure all bi-directional referral data are accurate and produced weekly; use data for decision-making.
• Lead the development of a service directory for health, nutrition, and HIV services in implementation area; update the directory at least once a year.
• Support CCWs to conduct nutrition activities, including nutrition assessments, counselling, and linkage to other nutrition service providers.
• Provide continuous supportive supervision to CCWs to ensure provision of health-related services and referrals and linkages to beneficiaries.
• Submit timely updates to the Program Manager for inclusion in the quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports.
• Document lessons learned and best practices for experience sharing and replication.
• Perform any other relevant duties as assigned by the Project Manager.

Minimum required Qualifications, Experience and Skills

Education:
• MUST be Diploma holder in Clinical Medicine or Nursing.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in medicine or nursing will be an added advantage.
• A good team player with demonstrated skills and experience in leading and coaching the team.
• Ability to network and maintain professional relationship with the Healthcare facility leadership, LGA’s and other stakeholders at the Council level
• Excellent written, presentation, communication, and organizational skills in both English and Kiswahili.
• Good understanding of council and regional level healthcare system
• Flexible to work beyond normal working hours

JOB APPLICATION PROCEDURE

• SHDEPHA+ is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of Age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.

METHOD OF APPLICATION;

• All applications are to be lodged through email: [email protected]
• All candidates are required to mention the ‘Position Title’ on the subject line of the e-mail.
• All applicants MUST attach cover letter and their updated Curriculum Vitae with certified copies of academic certificates as supporting documents to their applications.
• All applications should be submitted not later than 12:00 HRS on Tuesday, 2nd November 2022
• For more information, kindly visit our website: www.shdephakahama.org