Consultant - WHO HIV testing services guideline development and dissemination
Multiple locations
- Organization: WHO - World Health Organization
- Location: Multiple locations
- Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
-
Occupational Groups:
- Public Health and Health Service
- HIV and AIDS
- Closing Date: Closed
Purpose of consultancy
To contribute to the development, dissemination and promotion of the 2019 version of the HIV testing services (HTS) guidelines, contribute to scale-up country implementation of optimal HTS strategies, and to develop new HTS guidance.
Background
The Testing, Prevention and Populations unit (TPP) works on a range of topics including biomedical prevention such as HIV testing services, voluntary medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, as well as all relevant prevention and treatment for key populations. WHO defines key populations in the context of HIV and viral hepatitis as people who inject drugs, people in prisons and other closed settings, men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender people.
In parts of east and southern Africa, approximately 60% of new HIV infections are among women and girls of all ages. In this region adolescent girls and young women (ages 15–24) account for one quarter of new infections, even though they constitute only 10% of the population and are three times more likely to acquire HIV infection than male peers their own age. At the same time, as many as one quarter of adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa use modern contraception, and contraceptive prevalence is even higher in
high HIV burden countries such as Lesotho (59.2%), Zimbabwe (50.7%) and Kenya (36.8%). While family planning (FP) service coverage needs to expand to reduce unmet need, current FP service coverage in high HIV burden countries suggests that FP services may be an important venue for reaching adolescent girls and young women with HIV testing and linkages to prevention and treatment for those at high ongoing risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a strategic mix of HIV testing services to achieve greatest impact and efficiency ranging from those in facility and community settings, as well as partner notification and self-testing approaches. Together these strategies work to reach PLHIV who do not know their status, as well as those with high ongoing risk who are in need to be engaged in prevention such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to stay HIV negative. While still emerging, strategies to integrate HIV self-testing and partner notification offer new opportunities for delivering HIV testing in family planning services, particularly with offer of immediate ART and PrEP to facilitate optimized treatment, informed choice and safe-conception.
Deliverables:
Task 1: Development of implementation guidance on integrated testing services for pregnant people.
- Deliverable 1.1: Concept note for integration of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis prevention and testing services for pregnant people developed.
Timeline: February 2023. - Deliverable 1.2: Draft agenda, background documents and minutes for partner consultation on concept note for integration of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis prevention and services for pregnant people.
Timeline: March 2023. - Deliverable 1.3: Three country case examples of good practice related to implementation of integrated HIV, hepatitis b and syphilis testing and prevention for pregnant people.
Timeline: April, August, November 2023. - Deliverable 1.4: Complete bi-annual data analysis on dual HIV/syphilis RDT implementation with UNAIDS
Timeline: April, July, September, December 2023 - Deliverable 1.5: Meeting notes with action points of dual HIV/syphilis RDT implementation discussed in quarterly partner liaison meetings.
Timeline: April, September 2023.
Task 2: Contribute to implementation of differentiated testing services under the DSD strategic initiative.
- Deliverable 2.1: DSD Strategic Initiative technical expertise for at least two countries provided (e-mail correspondence and track changed documents).
Timeline: Monthly, (February - November 2023).
Task 3: Contribute to WHO guideline development processes for HIV testing services (HTS).
- Deliverable 3.1: Detailed workplan updated on a monthly basis for the HTS guideline development process.
- Deliverable 3.2: Draft agenda, background documents, recordings and notes for the record with action points for the monthly meetings, e.g., HTS guidelines development, steering committee, core team meetings.
- Deliverable 3.3: Communications for Peer Review prepared, peer review comments compiled and integrated into the draft document.
- Deliverable 3.4: Web annexes compiled, verified and prepared for publication.
Timeline: Monthly, (February - November 2023). - Deliverable 3.5: Launch of WHO guidelines on HIV testing services and integrated service delivery for women and girls: slideset and communication materials (web story, webinar agenda) drafted.
Timeline: February, April, June, August, October 2023.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages.
Educational Qualifications:
Essential:
- University degree in medicine, social science or public health.
Desirable:
- Advanced university degree in public health.
Experience
Essential:
- Over 5 years’ experience working in HIV testing services including programme, HIV prevention, data analysis, and procurement, policy, strategy, and implementation.
- Experience with technical writing, data analysis and report writing.
Desirable:
- Experience in guideline development.
Skills
- Good communication, presentation and coordination skills.
Languages required:
Essential:
- Expert knowledge of English.
Location
Off-site: Home based.
Travel
The consultant is expected to travel.
Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):
Remuneration:
Band level B-USD USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.
Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):
N/A
Expected duration of contract:
11 months.
Additional Information
- This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
- Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
- A written test may be used as a form of screening.
- If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
- For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
- WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
- WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
- Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
- WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
- WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
- Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
- WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
- Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html
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