Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care, Regional Technical Officer – Ethiopia – Resolve to Save Lives, Inc
Health Care
Resolve to Save Lives, Inc
Resolve to Save Lives was created in 2017 by Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through his work in government and with philanthropy, Dr. Frieden pinpointed a unique problem: no one is thinking about how to systematically combat the world’s leading killers. Heart disease carries the distinction of being the world’s #1 cause of death. And few organizations raise their focus from one disease to look at epidemics as a whole—and how they can be prevented. Resolve to Save Lives is committed to saving lives from these preventable causes by partnering with government and civil society to implement scalable, proven strategies.
We prioritize partnerships with national and local organizations in low- and middle-income countries to co-create, advocate for, and scale up activities in heart disease prevention and epidemic preparedness. We work with global organizations to produce and promote policies that maximize health gains. We are resolved to save lives.
Epidemic Ready Primary Health Care, Regional Technical Officer
Resolve to Save Lives, Ethiopia
(Two Positions: Addis Ababa and Sidama)
Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL – https://resolvetosavelives.org/about/) works closely with low- and middle-income country governments, the World Health Organization, and academic and other civil society partners to strengthen national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to epidemic threats and build capacity for and implement a core package of interventions to reduce cardiovascular disease. In partnership with the World Health Organization and Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), RTSL supported the implementation of a hypertension control program in selected government primary health care facilities in four regions and two city administrations since March 2020. In addition, RTSL, in collaboration with partners, implemented a training program to strengthen the national infection prevention and control (IPC) program.
In July 2021, RTSL launched a new joint initiative of its Preventing Epidemics and Cardiovascular Health (CVH) units to improve overall infection prevention and control measures, mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and maintain essential hypertension care services in primary health facilities and the community.
Building upon this work, epidemic-ready primary health care (ERPHC) is a new approach that focuses on the intersection of health service delivery and public health increasing the readiness and resilience of primary health care to detect and respond to outbreaks, while also maintaining essential health services. The approach will not only provide technical support in critical areas of IPC and case detection and management but will also elevate the role of policy change and political will required to ensure funding and programmatic linkages between public health and health service delivery.
Position Summary:
The ERPHC Regional Technical Officers embedded with the Regional Health Bureaus in Addis Ababa and Sidama will be responsible for providing technical assistance in the implementation and monitoring of the ERPHC program. These are full-time, 24-month positions at each of the two Regional Health Bureaus. The Regional Technical Officer will work closely with the RTSL Ethiopia country office and the assigned Regional Health Bureau. The Regional Technical Officer will oversee the analysis and use of aggregate health facility data from ERPHC to inform policies and programs. The incumbent is expected to work closely with Regional Health Bureau and zonal and woreda health offices to address gaps and bottlenecks and inform policies and procedures at the subnational level. The incumbent will collaborate with the RTSL country office to develop and support zonal and woreda focal persons, ERPHC mentors, and health facility staff through initial training, monthly mentorship, and supportive supervision visits.
In addition, the Regional Technical Officer will monitor and evaluate ERPHC implementation to meet national and international standards, support quality improvement initiatives, and conduct supportive site supervision visits as needed. The incumbent will support ERPHC coordination for the RTSL initiative and work closely with the program focal points at the national and regional levels to strengthen IPC and IDSR at primary health facilities. The Regional Technical Officer will have a reporting line to the seconded Regional Health Bureau and to the ERPHC Program Manager at RTSL, Ethiopia.
Core Duties and Responsibilities:
- Responsible for overall project oversight, and direction at the regional, zonal and woreda levels in coordination with the RTSL country office and EPHI
- Provide technical assistance for the project implementation at the subnational level
- Coordinate need-based training on IPC and IDSR
- Provide mentorship and ongoing capacity building for health facility-level IPC and IDSR focal points and ERPHC mentors to ensure appropriate facility monitoring visits are effective and IPC gaps are identified and addressed
- In alignment with RTSL, EPHI, and ERPHC mentors, conduct periodic quality assurance visits to health facilities
- Strengthen capacity of ERPHC mentors
- Synthesize health facility data on IPC and IDSR and identify existing gaps; work with Regional Health Bureaus, zonal and woreda health offices on addressing existing gaps through capacity building, mentorship, and supportive supervision.
- Support data use for evidence-based policy and decision-making
Educational Requirements:
- MD or RN or Master’s degree in MA/MSc in Environmental Health, Infectious Diseases, MPH in Health Service Management or related fields; Field Epidemiology Training Program
Required Experience and Skills:
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in infection prevention and control and surveillance of large-scale health and health service delivery and systems strengthening programs
- Must possess proven knowledge and skills in IPC, IDSR, including management and implementation of IPC and surveillance programs at health facilities
- Ability to provide technical assistance in applying IPC and IDSR principles to unique and different settings
- Solid knowledge of monitoring and evaluation of infectious disease programs
- Strong organizational, management and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to work effectively with persons at all levels of the public health system
- Experience with data collection, data analytics for decision making, program management and performance improvement, data interpretation, and risk communication
- Support capacity building efforts at health bureau level and represent RTSL at regional level
- Proven ability to multi-task across various planning and implementation processes within a highly demanding environment
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated experience in collaborating with various types of partners including governmental agencies such as Regional Health Bureaus
- Proficiency in MS Office applications
Other:
- Willingness to travel within Ethiopia to program sites
We are grateful for your interest in our work and for your application. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications typically received, we can only reply to shortlisted candidates.
