National Professional Officer- EPI Surveillance

World Health Organization

The mission of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Vacancy Notice No: KEN/VN/2013/014/015/016

Title: National Professional Officer- EPI Surveillance

Grade: NOC

Contract type: SSA/Consultant 

Duration of contract: One year

Application Deadline: 16 September, 2013

Duty Station: Isiolo, Lodwar and Kisumu, Kenya [3 positions]

Applications are hereby invited from suitable Kenya nationals to fill the above post. 

Terms of Reference:

Under the supervision of the WHO Country Representative - Kenya and in liaison with WHO Country EPI Team Leader, the incumbent will provide technical assistance in the area of routine immunization and active disease surveillance in order to achieve Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) indicators for polio eradication, strengthening Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), strengthening Measles case-based surveillance, improving performance monitoring/coverage, activities to accomplish classification of all AFP cases. 

The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health’s Division of Vaccines and Immunization (DVI) and Division of Disease Surveillance and Response (DDSR) Units, under the direction of and reports to the WR Kenya, NPO/EPI-Team Leader and works closely with the WHO EPI Surveillance Officer of the respective region.

S/he will provide technical support to VPD surveillance activities in all districts of the Counties s/he is assigned in Kenya, in collaboration with the respective County and District Disease Surveillance Teams and WHO EPI Surveillance Officer of the respective region.

Under the direct supervision of the National Professional Officers/EPI Team Leader (NPO/EPI Team Leader), the incumbent performs the following duties:-

1. Support the County and District teams in the assigned region(s) to sustain improved AFP surveillance indicators through, monthly mapping of poorly performing areas, technical support to poor performing districts, providing technical support during regional and national disease surveillance review meetings;
2. Train/re-train district health teams and peripheral workers on disease surveillance and control and immunisation;
3. Support the districts in the development of appropriate system for monitoring immunisation service targets, disease reporting system and disease outbreak investigation and response;
4. Support county and district health teams to implement and monitor RED strategy
5. Monitor EPI coverage, drop-out rates, disease trends and completeness/timeliness of EPI reports at the county level and provide timely feedback to districts;
6. Provide technical support to the districts in the development of annual immunisation and integrated disease surveillance plans of action and supervise all disease surveillance activities, including IDSR, in assigned regions/counties/districts;
7. Monitor disease eradication/elimination/control indicators at assigned sub-national levels and; provides technical support to provinces and districts in the implementation of AFP, measles and NNT case-based surveillance systems and provides feedback to districts on their performance during quarterly meetings for County/District Disease Surveillance Coordinators in the respective regions;
8. Support counties and districts to establish community-based and cross-border integrated disease surveillance systems;
9. Participate in National Polio Expert Committee (NPEC) activities to accomplish classification of all acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in the country;
10. Perform any other duties as assigned regularly by the WHO Kenya Country Representative and/or NPO/EPI-Team Leader.

Qualification / Knowledge: 

First University degree in Medicine or other Health Sciences related profession. 

Post graduate qualifications in Public Health or Epidemiology.

Desirable: Exposure to Mid-Level Management (MLM) courses for EPI managers is an added advantage.

Experience:

Essential: At least 5 years of practical experience in planning, implementing, monitoring and 

evaluating disease prevention and control activities.

Desirable: Experience in working with bilateral or multilateral organizations in the country.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English and a working knowledge of Kiswahili.
• Knowledge of other WHO official languages (French) is an added advantage.

Other Skills(e.g. IT)

• Good knowledge and ability to use computer software for word-processing, spreadsheets and basic epidemiological and statistical analyses; demonstrated abilities for team-work

Quoting the vacancy notice number, Application letter and latest Curriculum Vitae should be sent to: 

WHO Representative

P. O. Box 45335, 00100

Nairobi

Attention: Operations Officer 

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted for interview.