Medical Officer - Disease Control and Immunization at World Health Organization (WHO)

World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Medical Officer - Disease Control and Immunization

Location: Abuja

Responsibilities
Management Capacity:
Strategic direction — national immunization policies and work plan:

• Promotes establishment of decision-making bodies at national level to facilitate consensus among national players and their external counterparts.
• Represents the WHO team in EPI technical working groups to provide WHO strategic and policy guidance.
• Supports the development and implementation of strategies and activities within the cMYP and annual EPI plan for strengthening service delivery and surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases.

Project/Programme management:

• Supports the WHO Representative and EPI Team Leader in overall programme coordination and resource management in the routine immunization programme, monitors programme indicators and analyses programmatic and surveillance data for use in programme management.
• Works closely with the national government to support their implementation and evaluation of immunization projects and to ensure a comprehensive approach to health interventions.

Technical Capacity:
Developing Evidence-based Policy Recommendations And Guidance:

• Conducts analytical studies and implementation research as needed and collaboratively develops guidelines and recommends solutions to programme concerns.
• Encourages the national immunization programme to include regional and global immunization policies and strategies in the Country Cooperation Strategy, through nationally relevant evidence and discussions with the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) and the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG).
• Solicits feedback from national technical experts on global and regional policies to strengthen recommendations made at global and regional level and ensure feasibility of implementation at national level.

Monitoring And Using Data For Analytics:

• Monitors and evaluates national immunization policies and programmes, supporting the national immunization programme to collect, collate, analyse and use high quality data for action.
• Supports the country to investigate opportunities for internal and external information sharing and strengthen the capacity of national authorities to build and sustain national health observatories ensuring immunization data is integrated within.
• Facilitates innovation by promoting new ideas and technologies (including ICT) to make data collection, analysis and use more effective and efficient.

Support To Strengthening Routine Immunization System:

• Provides technical support to improve routine immunization coverage and strengthen routine immunization systems, by designing appropriate regular routine vaccination services though fixed, outreach and mobile sites, and including period intensification of routine immunization, child health days and integrated child health intervention.
• Supports the management skills development of the national immunization programme team through capacity building and training.
• Assists with the development of strategic comprehensive multi-year plans (cMYPs), as well as annual operational work plans, and supports the on-going monitoring of these plans.
• Supports the national government to develop Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) applications to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi).
• Develops and implements a strategy and plan of action to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation system of the immunization programme and to improve the immunization programme at all levels.

Support to establishing and strengthening surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases:

• Implements, monitors and evaluates regional networks for laboratory-based surveillance of diseases preventable by new vaccines, including, bacterial meningitis, other invasive bacterial diseases (bacterial pneumonia and Sepsis) and rotavirus gastroenteritis surveillance.
• Reviews and provides technical support to strengthen vaccine preventable diseases surveillance data and indicators.

Supports accelerated immunization initiative activities and the introduction of new vaccines:

• Reviews, updates and provides technical support and guidance on the implementation of accelerated immunization initiative (All) activities within the annual EPI plan as well as establishes and implements a system to monitor All indicators.
• Supports the national government to develop new vaccine applications to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi).
• Develop new vaccine introduction activities within cMYPs and annual plans and necessary guidelines to ensure smooth indroduction at national and sub-national levels
• Coordinate activities related to introduction of new vaccines, including novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), developing applications to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, new vaccine introduction plans, and necessary training.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of polio transition plan, including facilitating dialogue with the national and state authorities for integration of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system into broader systems that include reporting of vaccine preventable diseases (e.g. sentinel sites for priority diseases such as invasive bacterial diseases, Rotavirus disease, Congenital Rubella Syndrome) and in the long run, other communicable diseases (in collaboration with WHE coordinator).
• Collaborate with the WHE country team and other Incident Management Support Teams (IMST) for the investigation and response to outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases.
• Develop WHO biannual plan (Program Budget) for polio eradication and immunization in coordination with the authorities and WHO regional office.
• Contribute to the development of policies and operational strategies for inclusion of vulnerable groups and people living in hard-to-reach areas (in conflict and fragile settings) in order to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all.

Qualifications

• University degree in Medicine or Public Health or related field, and Masters' Degree in Public Health or Epidemiology or other related field from an internationally recognized university.
• Post graduate training in public health or epidemiology.
• At least 6 years of relevant work experience at the national and international levels in immunization programmes, vaccine preventable diseases surveillance and data management, including demonstrated experience in low-resource environments. Demonstrated experience in working with development partners on the development, planning, implementation or monitoring and evaluation of immunization strategies and programmes. Proven experience to work to deadlines and budgets, in collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Desirable: Extensive training/experience in immunization, surveillance and data interpretation. Experience in resource mobilization and policy development.

Skills:

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of principles, practices, methodology and techniques of immunization programmes
• Excellent capacity in analysing vaccine-preventable diseases and EPI-related data, synthesizing information and presenting clear and concise conclusions to foster decision-making.
• Excellent understanding of measles and rubella control and elimination strategy and introduction of new vaccines.
• Familiarity with the UN system, including knowledge of WHO country, regional and global functions. Ability to work as a team member, and sensitivity to working in a multi-cultural environment.

Application Closing Date
12th August, 2024.