Maternal Reproductive Health Specialist

The United Nations Population Fund is the UN agency which leads global efforts to help ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
UNFPA’s programmes work to ensure that women, adolescents, young people and marginalized populations, including Persons with Disabilities (PWD), are empowered to make decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights and able to live free of discrimination and violence.

The reproductive, maternal, and child health context of Afghanistan is complex, with the country facing significant health system and demographic challenges. The health system is affected and impacted by the country’s unique socio-cultural, political and religious context and values, which play a key role in defining the country’s response to evolving health care needs, and in shaping the prioritisation and delivery of healthcare services and interventions. Health indicators are poor, with a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 521 deaths per 100,000 live births among the highest globally and an infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-five mortality rate of 46.5 and 72.2 per 1,000 live births, respectively. The country has an estimated total fertility rate of 5.4 children per woman, leading to an annual population growth rate of about 2.3% in 2024.

The overall goal of UNFPA’s interventions in Afghanistan is to provide quality essential and life-saving maternal and reproductive health services and respond to women's psychosocial support needs through qualified women service providers to the affected population. Given Afghanistan’s consistently high maternal mortality rate, the Family Health Houses (FHHs), a flagship initiative of UNFPA, was introduced in 2009 as a mechanism to deliver skilled midwifery care and extend reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCAH) services to remote ‘white’ areas of Afghanistan.

The FHH is a community-based health centre operated by community midwives, recognised as part of the first layer of the primary healthcare system within the National Health Policy. UNFPA is working toward strengthening integration of reproductive morbidities and essential primary healthcare components within the FHHs, including routine immunisation, nutrition (both preventive and curative services), and family health services.

In this context, UNFPA Afghanistan is seeking an International Consultant to provide high-quality technical assistance and support in the implementation of its MRH programme.

Specific tasks for the assignment:

Coordination:

● Coordinate with implementing partners and ensure implementation of MRH projects, Take programmatic leadership on meetings related to programme/project (s) implementing interventions of maternal health, and ensure that reports and proposals reflect best practice standards of maternal health as well as accurate programme progress
● Build strong partnerships with MRH projects’ partners and stakeholders at national, provincial, and regional levels.
● Participate in the Health Sector and Health Cluster coordination bodies.
● Ensure integration of MRH in contingency plans of HDP actors.
● Coordination with other UN partners and stakeholders on MRH programming and mobilizing strategic partnerships

UNFPA Project Implementation:

● The consultant should provide strategic guidance and technical support to programme team and implementing partners for strengthening integration of FP, RH morbidities (fistula, cervical cancer), work with midwifery stakeholders and provide technical support for strengthening education, lead development of EmONC assessment tool, data collection and improvement plans.as stated in the
objective section.
● Provides technical support and guidance to the implementing partner, technical staff, and partner agencies to ensure good quality implementation of project activities.
● In consultation with relevant UNFPA units, reviews and prepares work plans and budget revisions of the projects.

Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation:

● Conduct regular field missions to provinces and assessments as appropriate to inform strategic approaches and for addressing the issues around MRH and access to MRH services.
● Monitor progress of the projects’ activities, identify sources of delays in the project implementation, contribute to feasible solutions, and ensure follow-up actions are being carried out.

Reporting:

● Takes thematic leadership within maternal health contributions to reports and proposals in an accurate and timely manner in regards to on projects’ implementation status (mainly for donors and CO).
● Oversees quarterly work plans of implementing partners and ensures adequate and diligent planning, allocation and utilization of donor funds.
● Any other activities as requested by the CO.