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International consultancy to support PNG’s Department of Health, Provincial& District Authorities to ensure that health centers and communities have the capacity to detect and treat acute malnutrition among children under-five (for 7 months)

Port-au-Prince

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Port-au-Prince
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Education, Learning and Training
    • Nutrition
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
    • Emergency Programme
  • Closing Date: Closed

To support Papua New Guinea’s Department of Health, The Paediatric Society, Provincial and District Development Authorities to ensure that all health centers and communities have the capacity to detect and treat acute malnutrition among children under-five. The consultant, shall ensure that staff are trained and supervised, commodities and supplies for therapeutic feeding are available, data capture and record keeping is clear and consistent, and NGOs, Church health service delivery points, VHVs/CBDs/CBOs are involved. Further, that there is well coordinated, strengthened and linked services.

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    1. Provide class room based trainings to the new UNICEF-convergence targeted four districts and on-job mentorships to all trained health workers, to strengthen the skills to assess, diagnose and treat acute malnutrition at all levels of health service delivery and at community level;
  1. To be sustainable, alongside preventive measures for all forms of malnutrition, there is need to institutionalize the content on management of acute malnutrition in all possible aspects of pre-service training. The consultant shall work with at least one university to incorporate relevant content on treatment of severe acute malnutrition into pre-service training;

    Background

    Malnutrition, particularly stunting, is associated with reduced learning capacity and lifetime earnings, robbing the nation of its future. There are indirect losses in productivity from poor cognitive development and schooling. Some 15 per cent of children under 5 years are ‘wasted’ (HIES, 2009/2010), because of acute malnutrition, a condition that increases illnesses and deaths, which contributes to direct productivity losses.

    For about two years, UNICEF PNG’s approach has been to gradually introduce appropriate management of acute malnutrition, first integrating the treatment of SAM cases into inpatient care in 15 selected provincial hospitals. More recently, beyond the provincial hospital level, in six target provinces appropriate treatment was made available at lower health care levels. This was to manage SAM cases without medical complications as outpatients, integrating this into routine health care services including community outreach services for early case identification, referral, maximum service coverage and accessibility, and appropriate care for as long as it is needed.

    With this approach, four of 15 implementing provincial hospitals (Buka, Kundiawa, Kimbe and Port Moresby) have steadily reduced CFR of SAM cases, from an average of 21 per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent in 2015, and most recently to 10 per cent in 2016.

    UNICEF gradually introduced community- and facility-based management of acute malnutrition, first by treating SAM cases in hospital (and continuing to treat hospitalized SAM cases with medical complications), and later introducing services at peripheral level health care points for SAM cases without medical complications. These were treated as outpatients in the six target provinces (AROB, Enga, Morobe, Madang, NCD and Simbu). The latter approach is Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition.

    At the beginning, a standard protocol and other job aids were adapted to PNG. They were updated annually based on need, and contributed to the capacity of a cumulative 934 health workers country wide, (546 / 58 per cent women) in both rural and urban settings. Some of these health workers were given on-the-job coaching and mentorship and were supervised, thus they have been able to diagnose and treat SAM cases since October 2014, when the programme was launched through the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the Paediatric Society.

    Specific Tasks:1) Provide class room based trainings to the new UNICEF-convergence targeted four districts and on-job mentorships to all trained health workers, to strengthen the skills to assess, diagnose and treat acute malnutrition at all levels of health service delivery and at community level; 2) To be sustainable, alongside preventive measures for all forms of malnutrition, there is need to institutionalize the content on management of acute malnutrition in all possible aspects of pre-service training. The consultant shall work with at least one university to incorporate relevant content on treatment of severe acute malnutrition into pre-service training; 3) Institute an integrated coordination mechanism into all health services with clear supply chain, patient referral and reporting pathways for all relevant structures, and at all levels. Paroral reporting to collate monthly data, to inform service uptake and intervention outcomes remains a need till such a time when reporting is fully integrated into the National health information System (NHIS); Ensure that functional equipment and therapeutic foods are available, and supplies flow is integrated into the existing health system. Support district and PHA level planning and budgeting for targeted nutrition activities specific to the treatment of acute malnutrition. At least one support supervision visit is expected to be completed for each of UNICEF’s four convergence DDAs by the end of the consultancy period. Monthly communication with all implementing facilities is mandatory, to virtually offer mentorship and track status of implementation. 4) Integrate the screening and treatment of acute malnutrition as an integral component of maternal and child health and the TB control programme (as should be done for HIV/AIDS initiatives), at health facilities and within plans and budgets for annual implementation plans (AIPs) 2019; 5) Perform other integral tasks that may arise during the implementation of the above tasks that contribute to reducing malnutrition related deaths in the country.

Expected Deliverables:

Expected background and Experience

  • First degree in Nutrition. Advanced degree in Health Sciences an added.
  • At least five years of relevant work experience in a clinical set up.
  • Excellent knowledge of PNG SAM protocol.
  • Experience working in emergency settings.
  • Ability to work in most extreme hardships.
  • At least three years’ experience in community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) or the integrated management of acute malnutrition (IMAM) mandatory.
  • Knowledge of infant and young child feeding strategy mandatory.
  • Experience in PNG public health is most preferred.
  • Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate in a multicultural environment.
  • Computer literacy with high ability to use excel spread sheets.

 Policy/Administrative issues

  1.  Conditions

  • The consultant will be responsible to bring all necessary laptop and computer accessories.
  • Under the consultancy agreements, a month is defined as 21 working days, and fees are prorated accordingly. Consultants are not paid for weekends or public holidays.
  • Flight costs for most direct economy class, local transport costs and any other costs related to this work will be covered by UNICEF and will not be included as part of the consultancy fees.
  • Please note the air tickets under UNICEF contract shall be re-routable, refundable type (economy class and most direct route). The consultant will be responsible for own travel insurance.
  • Consultants are not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.
  • No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant.
  • Consultant will be required to sign the Health statement for consultants/ individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that she/ he has appropriate health insurance.
  • The Form 'Designation, change or revocation of beneficiary must be completed by the consultant upon arrival, at the HR Section.
  • As per UNICEF policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary”.
  • The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.”

 HOW TO APPLY:

Interested and suitable consultants should submit their profile and a cover letter, CV, quoting monthly/lump sum fees for this consultancy by 31 March 2018.

 

This vacancy is now closed.
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