Background: 

Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit and Nairobi counties have been identified as some of high risk counties for poliovirus importation. These counties either border Somalia and Ethiopia which have experienced cVDPV2 outbreaks in 2020, while Nairobi is a major transit hub for population and particularly refugees from these counties. In addition, AFP surveillance activities and performance declined in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and response activities, health workers industrial action in various counties disrupting services, insecurity in some parts of Garissa resulting in migration of health workers from their duty stations.

Deployment of skilled personnel from local areas, who will be able to work and blend with the local authorities and communities, would be one of the solutions at this point in time to facilitate implementation of enhanced surveillance activities to increase the sensitivity of the system

Duration: Four months

Scope of work: 

The APW holder will work under the overall supervision of the WHO IVD focal point and day to day guidance of the WHO Cluster Supervisor for respective County and will perform the duties as below;

1. Support County and Sub-County Health Management teams to strengthen and maintain a sensitive active surveillance system within the framework of IDSR with a special focus on polio eradication, and vaccine preventable diseases as follows:

• Support the CDSC and SCDSCs to review, rationalize and prioritize active surveillance sites for AFP;

• Conduct, in collaboration with CDSC, SCDSC, AFP focal persons, at least 90% active surveillance sites, health facilities and in the community as per National and County surveillance guidelines;

• Strengthen the capacities of the county and sub county surveillance team and AFP surveillance network through conducting AFP surveillance orientation, sensitization or training of at least 90% personnel in the surveillance network including community health volunteers and informants;

• Ensure AFP and VPD IEC materials are distributed and displayed in all health facilities and surveillance sites;

• Support all AFP surveillance activities within the refugee camps in Garissa county and ensure that all AFP cases detected have stool samples collected from contacts and all zero dose cases are investigated;

• Support all AFP case investigation, stool sample collection from case and contacts, validation, 60 day follow up, geocoding, and Zero-dose investigation, in line with WHO guidelines;

• Provide technical and supervisory support to Environmental surveillance activities in Garissa and Nairobi counties:

• Collaborate with the local health entities and other national and international health partners including UN agencies and NGOs in strengthening polio eradication effort especially in the Refugee camps;

• Undertake regular field supervision visits to assess and evaluate the implementation of surveillance activities, identify gaps and recommend corrective actions based on key performance indicators;

• Coordinate and ensure all the expected data, reports and other information are transmitted to National level as per guidelines;

• To regularly monitor & review performance of all sub-counties to determine whether AFP surveillance indicators and other VPDs target performance are achieved and discuss way forward;

• Analyze IDSR data for unusual trends, data discrepancy and cases missed by VPD surveillance and institute corrective measures;

1. Support sub county and county teams to strengthen routine immunization through:

• Capacity building for health workers on routine immunization;

• Support sub county teams to map high risk populations and identify ways to reach them with vaccines;

• Support Routine Immunization focal points to conduct support supervision of RI providing facilities;

• Conduct and support the county and sub county team to analyze their data and identify areas of improvement;

• Support sub county and county teams to conduct Outbreak investigation and response to VPDs.


• Support the introduction of new vaccines eg use of nOPV2 for cVDPVP2 outbreaks, COVID-19 vaccine etc.


• Support SIA planning, implementation and monitoring.


• Perform any other duties, as required by the WHO IVD focal point or WHO Cluster surveillance or Immunization officer.

Qualification requirements:

Education:

Bachelor degree in medicine or health related field. Master’s Degree in Epidemiology, Public Health from a recognized institute will be desirable.

Experience:

• At least three years’ experience, at the county or sub county levels, in implementation of public health surveillance, immunization program, outbreak investigation and response in humanitarian settings.


• Prior working experience in AFP/VPD surveillance and polio eradication programme will be desirable.


• Previous or current experience working in North Eastern Kenya for at least one year will be an added advantage.

Skills:

• Analytical skills (evidence of ability to collect and analyze information and data, write reports and make recommendations).


• Skill in MS office and web based applications. Ability to analyse data and use for action.


• Fluency in the local language of the area under consideration.