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Program Officer, Immunization

India

  • Organization: CHAI - Clinton Health Access Initiative
  • Location: India
  • Grade: Junior level - Entry Level - Open for both International and National Professionals
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases
  • Closing Date: Closed

Program Officer, Immunization

Country
India
City
Bhopal
Type
Full Time
Program (Division)
Country Programs - India
Overview

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

 

CHAI, in partnership with its India affiliate William J Clinton Foundation (WJCF), works in close partnership with and under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) at the Central and States' levels on an array of high priority initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes. Currently, CHAI works across projects to expand access to quality care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis-C (HCV), tuberculosis, cancer, and immunization.

 

Background

 

Through the prioritized implementation of high impact public health interventions like immunization, access to safe drinking water, improved neo-natal and infant care and access to effective treatment for pneumonia and diarrhea, India has reduced its infant mortality rate (IMR) from 89 in 1990 to 32 in 2017 and Under-five Mortality Rate (U5MR) from 126 in 1990 to 39 in 2017. India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) is one of the largest public immunization programs in the world. It caters to 26 million infants and 30 million pregnant women annually through 9 million planned sessions. The program provides access to vaccines against 11 Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) at the national level and  two additional vaccines against VPDs at the sub-national level.

 

Under the strong leadership of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and state governments, the entire immunization ecosystem has demonstrated proactive commitment for achieving universal immunization coverage in the country in recent years. Strategic projects in this direction include but are not limited to introduction of new vaccines, rolling out of data systems, strengthening of national immunization centres such as Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) and National Cold Chain & Vaccines Management Resource Centre (NCCVMRC) and successful piloting of initiatives for bolstering health worker capacity building. Coupled with these initiatives, MoHFW launched Mission Indradhanush (MI) in 2014 and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (iMI) in 2017: catch up and system strengthening campaigns to target underserved, vulnerable, resistant, and inaccessible populations. iMI has resulted in an increase of 6.7% in full immunization coverage (FIC) after the first two phases in prioritized districts. However, the government and partners recognize the need for further efforts in this direction to reduce the 802,000 infant deaths and 989,000 under-five deaths that occur annually in the country.

 

Madhya Pradesh, the fifth most populous state of the country, contributes to about 8% (~2 million) of India’s annual birth cohort of 26 million children. Government of Madhya Pradesh has shown great commitment for increasing immunization coverage, wherein the immunization coverage (FIC) has increased to 54% (NFHS-4) in 2015-16 from ~43% (NFHS-3) in 2005-06. Additionally, recent surveys post targeted catch-up campaigns like Mission Indradhanush (MI) and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) show an average increase of 26% in immunization coverage across MP’s 14 IMI districts from 46% in 2015-16 (NFHS-4) to 72.4% in 2018. Over the years, inequities in immunization coverage across socio-economic groups in the state have reduced but are still high. Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP) aims to achieve 90% full immunization coverage (FIC) across the state, sustain the coverage across age group cohorts and strengthen health systems for improving long term immunization outcomes.

 

Program Overview

 

CHAI/WJCF’s India immunization program supports the MoHFW’s UIP at the national level and in the focus states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. CHAI/WJCF provides catalytic support to NCCVMRC, based out of National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), on national projects for improving availability and efficacy of vaccines and efficiency of vaccines systems. CHAI/WJCF also supports national and state governments on broader operational aspects such as planning, capacity building and systems improvements for immunization service delivery.

 

In Madhya Pradesh, CHAI/WJCF is providing catalytic support to GoMP for achieving and sustaining 90% FIC through targeted efforts in strengthening service delivery in 2 focus districts and building scale up strategies of the proven and effective interventions to ensure the successful translation of social impact at state level. CHAI is helping in setting up effective program management & review mechanisms, identifying pressing challenges as well as best practices in RI, enhancing impact of well performing interventions, developing & deploying effective solutions to pressing challenges and undertaking multi-year planning for long term immunization systems strengthening.

 

Role Overview

 

The Immunization program is looking for a Program Officer who can work closely with program leadership to support GoMP in designing and implementation activities for Immunization coverage improvement initiatives. CHAI seeks a highly motivated, entrepreneurial individual with outstanding problem-solving ability, process and program management and communication skills. The Program Officer must be able to function independently, be comfortable working with cross-functional teams, be flexible, and have a strong commitment to excellence. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic.

Responsibilities
  • Assist in development and scale up of new data systems/platforms and service tracking mechanisms, as required to support evidence-based decision making.
  • Help the team in crafting design and in building scale up plan for identified Immunization coverage improvement initiatives/activities.
  • Assist in development of training collaterals and in organizing trainings for activities/interventions to scaled up across the state.
  • Support capacity building of key functionaries on relevant competencies and coordinate with government officials for sustained ownership and delivery.
  • Provide support to the team in building strong tracking mechanism for project activities’ implementation monitoring.
  • Work independently and in groups to comprehensively execute planned immunization support interventions.
  • Travel on short notice to various parts of the state and often to national destinations as well.
  • Perform other responsibilities as requested by the program leadership.
Qualifications
  • Master’s/Bachelor’s degree in scientific, public health, or related discipline.
  • At least three years of experience in Public Health, Public Policy/Administration, or allied areas with field experience.
  • Proven expertise in a result driven environment, in the public and/or private sector.
  • Strong process management skills, high level of organization, and good attention to detail proven through experience in independently driving the planning and execution of projects including activity planning, implementation, and monitoring.
  • Proven track record working in challenging multi-stakeholder environments. Ability to navigate complex government processes and influence decision-making in a professional and collaborative manner.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, including proficiency at Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint & Word.
  • Fluency in English & Hindi.

Preferred

  • Significant government stakeholder management experience would be a strong positive.
  • Development or Public sector field experience.
  • Strong understanding of public health/immunization/vaccines, and/or cold chain context.

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