Job Opportunity at EGPAF, Technical Officer – HIV Testing Services

CLICK HERE
TO APPLY
ANY JOBS

“Sometimes in life there is that moment when it’s possible to make a change for the better. This is one of those moments.”

-Elizabeth Glaser



The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, working in 19 countries and supporting close to 6,000 sites around the world to prevent the transmission of HIV to children, and to facilitate access to services for those already infected. Today, because of the highly successful work of the Foundation and its partners, pediatric AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the United States. With a growing global staff of over 1,000—nine of 10 who work in the field—the Foundation’s global mission is to implement prevention, care, and treatment; further advance innovative research and to execute strategic and targeted global advocacy activities to bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide.

Position Details


Job title: Technical Officer – HIV Testing Services TO – HTS)
Job grade: Grade 5
Reporting to: PMTCT/HTS coordinator
Location: Arusha (1), Dodoma (1), Kilimanjaro (1), Manyara (1) and Singida (1)


Job Summary:
The Technical officer HTS is a highly committed, self- motivated and result oriented individual. S/he will provide regional level technical assistance, mentorship and supervision of the EGPAF supported HTS activities including designing and supporting implementation of innovative approaches to ensure provision of high quality HIV testing services in both the community and the facility. S/he is responsible to ensure effective implementation of community index testing, focused PITC at facilities, PrEP and Recency testing in their assigned USAID Boresha Afya supported region. The technical officer HTS will lead and advise the project office teams on documentation and sharing of best practices in community index testing and HTS in general. S/he will report to the PMTCT/HTS coordinator. S/he has the role to support implementation, monitor and provide support to assigned programmatic aspects under HIV testing services as stated below.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

HIV Testing Services

HTS Technical officer is responsible for overall HIV testing activity within region with focus on community index testing as well as facility index testing and optimized PITC on identification of new HIV cases and ensuring PrEP and recency testing are well implemented according to the national guideline. Ensure directives from donor through Technical supervisors are well and widely shared and implemented at facility and community levels.

Community index testing

• Mediate between community and facility index-testing providers on the implementation of community index testing.
• Provide technical assistance and support to community testers and volunteers working on the community index test on daily basis
• Monitor implementation of community index testing and ensure weekly reporting of the entire index testing cascade.
• Conduct weekly index testing data review for updating testing outcomes at the facility and obtaining list of new index contacts to be traced and tested at the community.
• Support and monitor implementation and reporting of community index testing and linkage of all clients identified positive through community testing.
• Provide implementation progress update against specified community index testing of the facilities in in the assigned region on weekly and monthly basis
• Provide input for quarterly narrative report on implementation and progress of community index testing activities including lessons learned.
• Proactively, establish the system for the identification and referral of HIV infected clients from community based index testing.
• Conduct supportive supervision with CPCs and district HTS focal person to identify challenges in the implementation of community index testing.

Focused facility PITC

• Provide support and monitor implementation and reporting of HIV Testing Services (HTS) specifically index testing, optimized PITC and linkage of all clients identified positive using linkage case management (LCM) approach.
• Provide input for quarterly narrative report on HTS activities implemented in the facilities supported.
• Strengthen the system for identification and referral of HIV infected clients from all entry points including community based testing.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of testing cascades to ensure continuum of care from focused HIV testing for case identification until linkage to treatment (initiation of ART)
• Work close with facility CTC providers for elicitation of index contacts to plan for facility and community testing, document and report follow up outcome

PrEP

• Support and monitor implementation and reporting of PrEP activities at both facility and community settings as per the guidance in the imDlementation Dlan.
• Provide input for quarterly narrative report on PrEP activities conducted in the supported region.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of PrEP activities to ensure fidelity of implementation as per the WHO guidelines.
• Conduct regular supervisory visits to follow up on the implementation of PrEP activities, documentation of challenges and lessons learnt and reporting.
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting are done accordingly using the available tools

Recency testing

• Support and monitor implementation and reporting of Recency testing in clients identified through focused HIV testing interventions from community and facility settings.
• Provide input for quarterly narrative report on Recency testing, to include progress of implementation and lessons learned during the course of implementation.
• Review documentation of recency testing outcomes in the supported region.
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting are done accordingly using the available tools
• Build capacity of facility and community teams on HTS, PrEP and recency testing
• Provide technical support to facility and community HTS providers in implementation of community index testing, focused PITC, PrEP and recency testing activities
• Facilitate quarterly HTS experience sharing meetings for HTS providers to discuss HTS, PrEP and recency testing performance and promising practices.
• Ensure availability of up to date HTS guidelines, SOPs, registers and reporting formats in all facilities and testing areas.
• Provide inputs and follow up on action plans for improving focused HTS specifically community index testing, PrEP and recency testing during data analysis and monitor its implementation.
• Supervision of community HTS providers
• Documentation of best practices of focused PITC, PrEP and recency testing program components
• Identify and write on best practices and success stories.
• Document challenges and suggest action to be taken while implementing HTS, PrEP and recency testing activities in the supported regions.
• Provide inputs for HTS, PrEP and recency testing during development of detailed proposals for application and reapplication for USG funding and for other donors.
• Share and disseminate lessons learnt from regions.
• Undertake any other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Required Qualifications

• Degree or advanced diploma in medicine, nursing or related field with relevant national registration
• Master’s degree in public health or related field is an added advantage
• At least 2 years of experience working in public health programs/ services
• At least 2 years of experience in implementation and management of HIV testing and linkage to ART or related clinical and public health programs
• Experience in writing reports, best practices and lessons learnt

Knowledge, skills and Abilities

Excellent command of English and Swahili languages in written and oral communication.
Experience in basic computer applications such as MS Word, Excel, Power point and internet
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines

HOW TO APPLY

EGPAF is an equal opportunities employer and the position is open to all. Qualified candidates should submit a CV, cover letter and relevant certificates explaining how the experience detailed in the CV will contribute to the requirements of the position and references to EGPAF.

Submissions to be sent to:

The Senior Human Resource Manager, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, P.O. BOX 1628, 395 Ursino Park, Mwaikibaki Road, Morocco Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Or e-mail: recruitment.tanzania@pedaids.org Closing date: 23rd October 2019

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

CLICK HERE
TO APPLY
ANY JOBS