Roster for Surveillance and Immunization Medical Officer (SIMO)

Objective of the position

The Surveillance and Immunization Medical Officer (SIMO) position provides technical assistance (TA) to province, district, municipality, and health facilities in all matters related to immunization and vaccine preventable disease (VPD) surveillance. Such TA includes but is not limited to capacity building and sensitization of government and private health sectors in VPD surveillance, outbreak investigation but also in active case search, data analysis and reporting, routine immunization (RI) with focus on coverage and equity, supplementary immunization activities (SIA), vaccination campaigns, outbreak response immunization (ORI), COVID-19 vaccination, and other support as needed.

Description of Duties (TOR)

Under the overall guidance of Medical Officer, Team Lead, WHO-IPD, and direct supervision of the National Professional Officer (NPO) - Immunization Cluster Lead, with technical line of reporting to NPO Surveillance Cluster Lead, the SIMO performs the following functions.

1. Polio eradication

• As per Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and WHO guidelines, SIMO will provide strategic technical assistance (TA) to support polio eradication activities. SIMO will provide technical support for AFP surveillance in assigned districts of the province. This includes the following minimum functions with active involvement of provincial and district officials:

1. Set-up and proactively liaise with a dynamic network of surveillance sites through regular active case search of AFP cases, ensuring timeliness and completeness of weekly reports, prompt reporting of suspected cases, investigation, and adequate sample collection.
2. Validate AFP case details through investigation of reported AFP cases on time.
3. Maintain up-to-date AFP case data and laboratory results, ensuring data quality, and timely submission of technical case report to the WHO-IPD central unit as per program guidelines. Analyse, interpret, and disseminate surveillance information for follow up actions in assigned areas.
4. Achieve and sustain AFP surveillance performance indicators above international and regional standards in the assigned areas/districts.

• Liaise with Government staff, relevant professional and academic organizations, polio partners (UNICEF, Rotary, etc.) and civil society organizations (CSOs) to accelerate polio eradication activities in the assigned areas.
• Provide technical support in planning, capacity building, implementation, and evaluation of polio RI and SIAs including development of special strategies for reaching zero dose and under immunized children of high-risk areas,
• In accordance with guidelines provided by WHO and MoHP, provide TA for capacity building of government and private health sectors in polio eradication activities.
• As instructed and coordinated by WHO-IPD central office, work with counterparts across international borders for coordinated activities on polio eradication including cross-border VPD surveillance and immunization.
• In coordination with WHO-IPD central office, provide technical support on polio outbreak preparedness and response and facilitate implementation and monitoring of polio environmental surveillance.

2. Measles Rubella (MR) elimination

• In accordance with MoHP and WHO guidelines, SIMO will provide strategic TA to provincial government for measles rubella (MR) elimination activities within assigned area. This will include:
• TA to achieve and sustain high quality MR surveillance performance indicators above international and regional standards.
• Set-up and proactively liaise with a dynamic network of case-based MR surveillance sites through regular active case search, ensuring timeliness and completeness of weekly reports, prompt notification of suspected cases, investigation, and adequate sample collection.
• Maintain up-to-date MR case data and laboratory results, ensuring data quality, and timely submission of technical report to the WHO-IPD central unit as per program guidelines. Analyse, interpret, and disseminate surveillance information for follow up actions in assigned areas.
• Liaise with appropriate technical networks and partners.
• Accelerate progress towards measles and rubella (MR) elimination.
• TA to achieve and sustain very high routine MR coverage with equity.
• TA during SIA, vaccination campaigns and ORI.

• Provide TA for other strategic objective of MR elimination such as strengthening laboratories, outbreak preparedness and response and enablers in coordination with WHO-IPD central office.
• Maintain liaison with Government staff, relevant professional and academic organizations, measles-rubella partners (UNICEF, Red Cross, etc.) and CSOs.
• Provide technical support in planning, capacity building, implementation, and evaluation of MR routine immunization and SIAs including development of special strategies to reach zero dose and under immunized children of high-risk areas.
• In coordination with WHO-IPD central office:
• build capacity on measles outbreak preparedness and response
• implementation of CRS (congenital rubella syndrome) sentinel surveillance.
• support activities of WHO accredited subnational MR laboratories as needed.

3. Control and elimination of other Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD)

• Provide TA for surveillance of other priority VPDs such as Japanese encephalitis, maternal and neonatal tetanus, diphtheria, and other support activities related to control and/or elimination of these VPDs.
• Provide TA for routine immunization and any SIA targeted against these VPDs to achieve high coverage with equity in the assigned areas.

4. Support immunization

• Provide TA to improve RI coverage with equity. This will include but not limited to capacity building of programme managers and health workers on new vaccine introduction, strengthening RI micro-planning, assessing cold chain and logistics systems, and monitoring and evaluation of RI session focusing on zero-dose and under vaccinated children from high-risk areas.
• In consultation with WHO-IPD central office, provide strategic TA for Full Immunization Declaration (FID) with sustainability efforts and other similar Government initiatives, as needed.
• Use VPD surveillance, immunization coverage, WHO-IPD independent surveillance and immunization monitoring data to identify high risk areas with regards to diseases targeted for elimination or eradication, so that appropriate responses can be undertaken.
• Provide technical support to the COVID-19 vaccination program including but not limited to TA for preparedness, capacity building and training, micro-planning, identifying areas of low Covid-19 vaccination coverages and providing technical support for supportive supervision of sessions sites and AEFI surveillance.
• Provide technical support for planning, preparedness, implementation, and follow-up of SIA including nation-wide vaccination campaigns, selected areas vaccination campaign and ORI to achieve high coverages with equity.
• Conduct high quality independent monitoring of VPD surveillance and RI at district, health facility, session site and community levels through capacity building and deployment independent field monitors (IFM).
• Maintain independent monitoring data of assigned areas and conduct quality reviews and checks. Review, analyse, and disseminate independent RI monitoring data of zero-dose and under immunized children from high-risk and vulnerable communities.
• Provide TA for Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) surveillance including support for AEFI case investigation and submission of quality technical investigation reports as per MoHP and WHO guidelines.

5. Cross cutting activities

• Develop and maintain close working relationships with Health Offices and Provincial Health Directorate as well as municipalities to support the National Immunization Program.
• Coordinate with other surveillance systems to reconcile VPD data between VPD surveillance and other surveillance systems for major VPDs.
• Triangulate available data and use evidence-based approach to provide technical support in assigned areas to improve VPD surveillance and immunization.
• On request from Health Office provide technical support to rapid response team (RRT) to investigate any suspected VPD outbreak and other outbreaks as needed.
• Support emergency response under guidance from WHO-IPD central office.

6. Administrative & supervisory

• As per WHO-IPD field office (FO) structure, directly supervise Field Data and Operation Assistant (FDOA), Driver and other personnel as deployed and assigned by WHO-IPD central office.
• Take overall responsibility of the assigned IPD Field Office (FO), its assets, IPD FO Imprest bank account and unit cash book (if assigned), with assistance from FDOA.
• Perform other administrative duties according to established WHO guidelines.
• Work closely with respective Provincial Immunization and Surveillance Coordinator (PISC) to support the Surveillance activities and National Immunization Programme.

7. Strictly adhere to compliance related to guidelines and SOPs related to prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment

8. Perform other assigned duties as per programme requirement and instruction of WHO-IPD Central Office. This includes duty travel or duty-station reassignment on short notice as per the program requirements.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Essential:

Medical graduate from an institution recognized by Nepal Medical Council with valid registration in the Nepal Medical Council / Graduate degree in Western medicine (MBBS or equivalent) from recognized college or university. (Can check from http://www/whed.net)

Desirable:

Post graduate qualification in one or more of the following disciplines or allied disciplines would be considered an asset: Public Health / Epidemiology / Global or International Health / Community Medicine / Paediatrics

Experience:

Essential:

At least two years’ experience in Public Health or related work, or a minimum of two years’ experience in Health Sector inclusive of at least one year’s experience in public health.

Desirable:

1) Experience of working with immunization and or disease surveillance programs.

2) Demonstrated experience in training/teaching/learning activities.

3) Demonstrated experience in public health emergency response

4) Experience of working in the NGO/INGO sector or UN would be an asset

Functional Skill and knowledge:

Good interpersonal skills and able to work as a team member in a multi-cultural environment. Ability to travel within the country and to perform practical hands-on field work. Good knowledge of immunization and surveillance with analytical skills on data presentation and able to prepare technical reports, plans and proposals.

Other Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Proficiency in Epidemiological Analysis software desired.

WHO Competencies:

Communication

Producing Results

Teamwork

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Moving forward in a changing environment

Language: Excellent knowledge of English and Nepali

Remuneration:

Monthly Salary: (Net of tax) NPR 196,102.00 (Grade: SSA Level VIII) at single rate (taxable as per Nepal Government laws, and functional modality will be through Special Services Agreement)

Duty Station: Any of the WHO-IPD Field Offices (across Nepal)

Additional Information

• This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and interviews may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required or this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
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• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
• Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply