4 (Four) x District COVID-19 Officer: Zimbabwe Health Interventions (ZHI)

Deadline: 22 April 2022

Location: Gweru

Type of Contract: Part-time

About:

Zimbabwe Health Interventions (ZHI) is a not-for-profit human development organization which is registered as a Trust under the Zimbabwe Deeds Registries Act (Chapter 20:05). ZHI’s mission is to develop and deliver innovative and sustainable high impact integrated health interventions with local communities while working with and strengthening existing institutions.

The Accelerated and Comprehensive HIV Care for Epidemic Control in Zimbabwe (ACCE) project's objective is to complement the government of Zimbabwe (GOZ)’s efforts towards epidemic control by targeting testing to efficiently identify PLHIV, ensuring all newly diagnosed PLHIV are immediately linked to treatment, and all PLHIV on treatment have ready access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), are retained on treatment, and remain virally suppressed. The program is being implemented in 9 districts in Midlands (Gweru, Kwekwe, Mberengwa and Gokwe South) and in Manicaland (Makoni, Mutare. Chipinge, Mutasa and Buhera). Additionally, the project is being implemented within the current environment affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Continuity of treatment and prevention services for PLHIV and those at risk for HIV is the foundational principle guiding PEPFAR programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is against this background that ZHI will be providing technical and financial support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care to complement the national COVID-19 preparedness and response plan. This will be implemented across all the eight districts in Midlands’s province. The goal of the project is to to reduce overall Covid 19 severity, morbidity and mortality attributable to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality attributable to COVID-19 through increasing awareness, demand generation and access to COVID-19 vaccinations in Midlands Province.

Basic function

Reporting to the Provincial Technical Officer -COVID19, the District COVID-19 Officer is responsible for all district level COVID-19 management, implementation, and monitoring activities. The District COVID-19 Officer will work in 2 districts, with the respective District Health Executives (DHE) to scale-up COVID-19 vaccination, as well as coordinating and monitoring COVID-19 trainings (IPC, Case Management, Surveillance, Vaccination, Mental Health, and continuity of other essential services).

Job description

Participate in strategic DHE meetings to share program updates, progress on implementation plans and challenges that need the DHE’s attention; Participate in district level COVID-19 case management review meetings; Work with the DHE in conducting COVID-19 related assessments and supportive supervision of COVID-19 programs; Organize training of health facility staff in COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), COVID-19 case management, case audits and COVID-19 vaccination in liaison with the DHE; Organize training for community health workers in Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), including contact tracing, in liaison with the DHE; Submit timely, accurate and quality reports on all district coordination activities performed; Oversee the use of organizational resources within the COVID-19 program in line with ZHI’s policies, the grant agreement, and in compliance with the USAID rules and regulations as applicable; Manage data-driven recruitment, orientation, deployment, and performance management of all HRH resources, e.g., Locum Nurses for COVID-19 Vaccination activities; Submit timely requests and acquittals for resources in line with financial management policies and other relevant SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to support program implementation; Support the timely submission of all administrative documents and reports (vehicle log books, asset verification checklists, petty cash certificates etc.) in line with relevant SOPs; In liaison with the district health executive, map and plan integrated COVID-19 vaccination outreaches; Provide support on supply chain management of equipment for COVID-19 screening, and maintaining social distancing among clients attending vaccination points, as well as adequate IPC and waste management supplies (including sharps bins, detergent, hand sanitizer) at all times; Support districts in reporting and documentation of Adverse Events (AE) Following COVID-19 vaccination according to MOHCC guidelines; Work with SIE and DHIOs on provision of M and E tools for reporting COVID-19 Vaccination activities including vaccine cards to record client vaccinations in supported districts; Support MoHCC at the district level in COVID-19 vaccine commodity management to ensure availability of vaccines for planned integrated outreach activities; Support the dissemination of mental health materials to health workers in supported districts through sharing of self-care apps, and referring health workers to relevant mental health support services; Facilitate training and mentorship on mental health support working with the DHE; Coordinate, working with other partners, to facilitate psychosocial support for clients diagnosed with COVID19; Provide M and E technical assistance, developing and setting up systems for timely collection, management, analysis, and reporting of valid and reliable Covid-19 vaccinations data that meet reporting requirements; Ensure timely collection, cleaning, verification and uploading of program data in databases including DHIS2 and longitudinal databases; Undertake periodic data reviews of program; Ensure data utilization in performance optimization of the Covid-19 program; Provide supervisory support to Strategic Information and Evaluation Interns in the Covid-19 program.

Knowledge, skills & attributes

Ability to manage and work independently and efficiently; Proficiency with data collection, management, analysis, and visualization software, including MS Excel, DHIS2, Open Data Kit and SPSS; Strong quantitative or mixed-method and analytical skills and ability to articulate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences; Excellent report writing and communication skills, including oral presentation; Sound knowledge and experience regarding data management and well-developed computer skills; Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, consultants and recipients of assistance; Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision; Demonstrated attention to detail; Ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently as well as cooperatively with team members.

Qualifications and experience

Diploma / Degree in Nursing, Diploma / Degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Health Promotion or equivalent qualification; Current registration with relevant professional bodies (e.g Nurses Council of Zimbabwe, Environmental Health Professions Council); Post-basic qualification in community health, project management, health services administration or similar will be an added advantage; At least 3 years' experience working in Emergency preparedness and response; An understanding of the MOHCC structures and pillars in COVID19 response and other epidemic prone diseases is essential; Proficiency in MS Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project Planning, Outlook), and online collaboration technologies.