HIV Project Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

Objective of WHO - "The attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." Mission - "Effective engagement with member states for advancing the global agenda; contributing to national health policies, strategies and plans; and for bringing country realities and perspectives to global policies and priorities."

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations established in 1948. The objective of WHO is to attain the highest possible level of health for all people. WHO achieves its goals by performing its essential functions: 1. Take leadership in crucial health issues and create partnerships when joint action is needed; 2. Set research priorities and encourage acquiring, applying, and disseminating valuable knowledge; 3. Setting standards and criteria and promoting and monitoring them; 4. Develop ethical and evidence-based policies 5. Provide technical support, be an agent of change and sustainably build institutional capacity; 6. Monitor health status and assess health trends. In the context of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) and its triple-billion strategy, WHO is seeking to employ two Project Assistants who will be focused on intensifying HIV prevention, treatment, care, and strategic information activities in Cunene and Huambo. The project will concentrate on bolstering HIV-related services and knowledge, particularly amongst high-risk groups including Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and young Men who have Sex with other Men (MSM). The overarching goal is to amplify awareness and instill preventative practices to mitigate the spread of HIV.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UCN Cluster Lead or their designated mandated representative(s), the HIV Project Assistants will: • Assist in the coordination and implementation of project activities in accordance with the objectives and deliverables outlined. • Conduct detailed mapping exercises of local CBOs and healthcare providers involved in HIV services. • Facilitate HIV prevention campaigns and capacity-building sessions for community stakeholders. • Harmonize and Analyze data related to the project’s impact, such as the uptake of HIV testing and treatment services. • Help in the routine activities of data harmonization, cleaning, analysis, and production of informative reports. • Organize and coordinate training sessions for healthcare providers, including laboratory technicians and prescribers, on early infant diagnosis and viral load testing. • Assist in the dissemination of the national HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. • Liaise with local health officials, NGOs, CBOs, and international partners to ensure project alignment and collaboration. • Monitor the quality of supplies, such as condoms and lubricants, and ensuring their proper distribution. • Support the implementation of M&E activities to ensure that project objectives are being met. • Other activities requested by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities during their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and actively participating in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and local volunteerism in the host country. • Provide annual and end-of-assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results, and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organisations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever possible. Results/expected outputs: • Increased awareness about HIV prevention methods among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and young Men who have Sex with Other Men (MSM). • Establishment of a comprehensive map and database of community-based organizations (CBOs) providing HIV services. • Enhanced capacity of local laboratories and healthcare providers through training, leading to an increase in the demand for EID and viral load testing. • Capacitation of CBO members and stakeholders in implementing HIV prevention and treatment strategies, particularly EID and viral load sensitization. • Improved data harmonization, analysis, and reporting mechanisms at municipal and provincial levels. • Dissemination and implementation of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan at the municipal and provincial levels, leading to better program oversight and accountability. • Smooth implementation of project activities through effective administrative and logistical support. • Timely Monitoring of implementation plan activities, resulting in high-quality data and timely adjustments to project strategies. • Increased coordination between local health authorities, CBOs, international partners like PEPFAR, and community members. • Establishment of a risk analysis and communication strategy based on results. • Collaborate to building a sustainable model for HIV prevention and treatment that can be scaled up or replicated in other regions.