Zimbabwe Technical Assistance, Training and Education Center for Health (Zim-TTECH)

Deadline: 28 January 2021

About the organization

Zim-TTECH is seeking highly qualified and experienced applicants to fill the position of OI/ART nurses. The vacancies have arisen in Matabeleland North province, Nkayi x1 and Tsholotsho x1. Zim-TTECH's activities occur primarily in the technical areas of health system strengthening; health workforce development; operations research and evaluation; prevention, care and treatment of infectious diseases. Zim-TTECH is funded by PEPFAR through the Center for Disease Control to implement HIV & TB treatment and care services in five Zimbabwean provinces in support of the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) under the Zim-PAAC (Zimbabwe Partnership to Accelerate AIDS Control) program. The contract is for eight (8) months effective February to 30 September 2021 and may be renewable subject to availability of funding and satisfactory performance of the candidates.

Position summary

The successful candidates will provide direct service in support of both facility/community testing, ART initiation, retaining clients in care and ART, viral load monitoring, linking clients to TB preventive therapy and treatment, defaulter tracking and accurate documentation in line with tracked indicators and in conjunction with MoHCC facility staff. Successful candidates will supervise and coordinate the activities of the FLF/CLF/VLFP and VHW at facility and community level and report to MoHCC district structures functionally and administratively and to Zim-TTECH structures on programmatic and contractual issues.

Responsibilities

Strengthening index testing and partner testing at health facility and community for consenting clients; Promoting and providing HIVST kits for clients with partners of unknown HIV status especially in ANC; Screening for and managing cases of partner and gender-based violence and making necessary referrals; Collaborating with the MoHCC community department to provide community-based services such as HIV testing during EPI and other outreaches and participating in community engagement events to promote HIV related services, such as viral load testing; Collaborating with DSD Primary Counsellors to screen and test all clients visiting the facility and clients booked in the community and ensuring that all eligible clients are tested for HIV and providing preventative services to clients who test negative; Providing health education on various HIV related health topics in groups and on one-on-one sessions and promoting male partner involvement, and testing; Ensuring clients who are positive for CaCx screening are treated or referred accordingly; Improving PMTCT indicators by ensuring all pregnant women booking at facility are tested for HIV and their exposed infants are tested at required intervals and conducting follow-up to final outcome; Ensuring infants testing HIV positive are promptly initiated on ART if not contraindicated; Promoting the use of optimized ART regiments in adults as well as infants and ensuring clients are fully transitioned to TLD and granule formulations by the set dates and summoning those with high viral load for EAC and listed for tracking; Ensuring proper and complete reporting of adverse drug reactions in the MCAZ ADR form booklets and other reporting platforms taking steps to alleviate the reactions through reassurance, medical treatment of events and withdrawal or substitution of the offending drugs; Promoting retention by promoting Differentiated Service delivery models for ART and other TB/HIV services including PREP. Furthering the uptake of DSD ART models to decongest health care facilities and increase time and quality for clients who need clinical consultation; Coordinating with CLFs, CATS, VLFP, YMM and VHWS/HPs to identify high risk population that need sensitisation on HIV and HIV related services and collaborating with Health Centre Committee to ensure community buy-in of HIV related programs; Referring vulnerable clients to OVC partners for assessment and assistance and collaborating with other community-based testing partners for cross referral of HIV testing, linkage to care and other services; Conducting quarterly facility folder review for accurate data reporting and management of all clients with outstanding services using the flagging system; Mobilising for mass viral load collection, offering counselling for viral load testing and ensuring all results for clients are properly filed and recorded in the client file; Promoting the use of telemedicine in order to expedite second line switch without requiring client to travel to district of provincial hospital for Doctor’s consultation and being vigilant on second line ART failures and referring suspected cases accordingly especially those who had been on a PI based second line regimen for more than 2 years; Producing and providing required reports on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis as required and participating in DSD review meetings; Sharing and presenting direct facility and community services reports at DHE meetings and other district related fora as a way of disseminating information and best practices; Implementing patient ART refill appointment system and managing missed appointments; Collaborating with Data Entry Clerks in the arrangement of client files in proper cohorts to enable efficient and consistent identification of such files whenever needed; Overseeing the compilation of clients who have missed appointments and following up on same the following day; Implementing strategies to ensure retention in care, such as SMS reminders, early defaulter tracking, high viral load coverage, high VL suppression, close monitoring of at-risk age groups such as adolescents, boys and young people.

Qualifications, skills and experience

Registered General Nurse (RGN) having valid registration with the Nurses Council of Zimbabwe; A valid Rapid HIV testing certificate is mandatory; Minimum of 3 years’ experience in working with MoHCC or health-related implementing partners coupled with a strong understanding of the Zimbabwe health care system structures; Should be able to work as part of a team and closely with expert clients and other volunteers; Experience in supporting community activities is an added advantage.

Commitment to diversity

Zim-TTECH recognizes that disparities in health around the globe stem from inequity. Therefore, the organization encourages and supports the multiple identities of staff including, but not limited to, socio-economic status, age, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity and expression, culture, spiritual practice, geography, mental and physical disability. Zim-TTECH strives to become a local, national, and international leader in developing and maintaining increased representation and recognition of each of these dimensions of diversity among its staff.