Associate Public Health Officer (Pharmacy)

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a UN agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.

Context

•UNHCR in Kasulu provides international protection and mixed solutions for Burundian and Congolese refugees and asylum seekers. •The Associate Public Health Officer (Pharmacy) will, in collaboration with the program team and in line with this job description ensure the standard pharmacy management in North-western Tanzania refugee program. •UNHCR along with partners provide primary, secondary, and tertiary health care to POCs in refugee camps and reception centres (in case of influx) in North-western Tanzania. •There are two refugee camps in North-western Tanzania as of January 1st, 2022. Health care services of Nyarugusu and Nduta refugee camps are provided by the TRCS and MTI while MSF-Swiss also provides health care services in Nduta refugee camp at main hospital. •In case of any influx of asylum seekers, there are multiple border reception centres in addition to the refugee camps discussed above, at which the health care services are provided by health partners. There is a regular health sector coordination in place and the overall response is governed by the refugee coordination model. •Essential medicine and medical supplies to the refugee program (except for Nduta refugee camp) are primarily provided by UNHCR through international procurement. Ad hoc local procurement is in place to supplement in an event of challenges in international procurement. •The logistic component of the international medicine procurement as well as the bulk of local procurement is coordinated at the UNHCR country office at Dar s Salaam. •Kibondo field office and Kasulu Field Office under Kigoma sub-Office oversee the health response of all refugee camps and the reception centres in North-western Tanzania. Monitoring the consumption pattern, monitoring the storage conditions, distribution and preparing the annual international order as well as the need based ad hoc local procurement orders are prepared at Kasulu field office. •The central medicine and medical supplies medical store are located at Mubondo UNHCR Logistics Base close to Kasulu field office. The central medical store is managed by UNHCR as direct implementation since January 1st, 2022. In addition to UNHCR’s stock, the central medical warehouse serves UNICEF and UNFPA medical stocks which is being managed by UNHCR through MOU between the agencies. The medicines and medical supplies are distributed on monthly bases based on monthly consumption data and ad hoc emergency requisitions to refugee camps and reception centres. Refugee camps do have small medicine storages to keep medicine and supplies adequate for one to two months and various pharmacy and dispensary points at health centres and health posts.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Field Office Kasulu and the technical supervision of the Public Health Officer based in Kigoma), the International UN Volunteer Associate Public Health Officer (Pharmacy) will: •Biweekly conduct supportive supervision of the refugee camps medicine stores and pharmacies. •Supervise directly three UNHCR Mubondo Medical Store staffs and support them and standard management of the medical store and service provision to the refugee camps. •Coordinate and constantly work with logistics partner AIRD in the management, logistics arrangement, and security of the medical warehouse located within the logistics base. •Frequent visits (at least twice a week) to Mubondo UNHCR Medical Warehouse on supportive supervision of central medicine storage; and •Work with the TRCS and MTI teams to maintain the UNHCR standards in all aspect of the pharmacy management cycle. •Ensure the management of the stocks of medicines and standardized medical equipment in all field pharmacies and central medicine store are according to UNHCR, WHO, and National Standards. •Develop and update drug management tools, follow-up of expiry dates and regular inventories. This standardization require training for field pharmacy managers, coaching and supporting of three medical store staffs at Mubondo Medical Warehouse, and plan the necessary maintenance and upgrades of all medical storage facilities of the refugee health programme; •Advise the programme and supply sections on the needed resources and procurement of medicine and medical equipment. •Ensure the renewal of contingency stocks (for cholera, COVID-19, malaria, dysentery, influx of refugees, etc.). •Monitoring of the needs, storage and consumption of medicines and nutritional products. •Work closely with the Public Health Associate and partner clinical staff to ensure rational drug use in the health services of the refugee camps. •Monitor the matching between the partners' orders and the real needs in the field •Support partners to prepare quality monthly reports on movement and consumption of medicines and nutritional products. •Support and train the partners to monitor the stock levels: predict the low stock levels and stock ruptures in advance, as well as avoid expiration of slow-moving items. •Report on the needs of medicines and equipment for all refugee camps. Through the calculation and monitoring of average monthly consumptions, support UNHCR and field in the design of the annual medical quantification system. •Prepare the medicine and medical supplies orders for all refugee camps along with the partners and train the partner pharmacy manager on this task. •Support partners in receiving ordered items complying the UNHCR standards and train partners on this process and necessary documentation •Review the available monitoring tools, inventory taking tools and drug management tools and upgrade them as per need and train the partners pharmacy staffs how to use them. •Share with partners’ relevant policies and principles, guidelines, protocols and other materials pertinent to pharmacy management. •Work with the UNHCR public health, supply and program for necessary procurements •Support the UNHCR supply: - Provide technical input into local procurement of medical supplies, both in the development of the tender documents and in the technical evaluation of received bids. •Support the supply team in Dar es Salaam in the management and follow-up of medical importations with the National Regulatory Authorities (TMDA). This requires may require travel to Dar es Salaam for face-to-face interactions with the relevant external counterparts when need arises. •Follow up with UNHCR supply team to ensure consignments are reached at the field timely and in a coordinated manner. •Lead the drug and therapeutics task force meeting on quarterly bases and monitor the implementation of the action points of the task force. •Participate and contribute to the various health and nutrition coordination meetings. •participate on MFT verification and coordination meetings including but not limited to quarterly verification exercise, ad hoc monitoring and evaluations, interagency coordination meetings, intersectoral coordination meetings, camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) meetings etc. •Participate and contribute to the National Logistics Pillar coordination meeting led my Ministry of Health which is being conducted on weekly and monthly bases. •Contribute to progarmme evaluation, reporting, PPA revision and project control activities. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of 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 the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). •Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of 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 the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.