Research Assistants at Malaria Consurtium

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa. In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths, primarily among children under five. Furthermore, progress toward malaria elimination has slowed in recent years and new tools and strategies are needed to accelerate efforts. One recent development is the introduction of two malaria vaccines, RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M, which the WHO has recommended for widespread use in moderate and high transmission settings. Currently, twelve countries have introduced malaria vaccines as part of their childhood immunization programs and Nigeria initiated malaria vaccine delivery in November 2024. Despite introduction of these vaccines, the most effective delivery method remains unclear. In many African regions malaria transmission is seasonal, and to effectively reduce malaria in these settings it is crucial to provide protection within the peak transmission season.

Malaria Consortium is a recipient of a new grant from Gavi to carry out an implementation research to generate evidence for an effective hybrid model of malaria vaccine delivery in Nigeria. It will assess feasibility, coverage, health impact and cost effectiveness of the hybrid model in highly seasonal malaria transmission settings. The hybrid model proposed offers timely demand creation, monitoring and follow-up to maximize protection for eligible children during the malaria season.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Assistant

Location: Kebbi

Job Purpose

• The purpose of the assignment is to engage research consultants that will conduct quantitative surveys of a hybrid vaccination schedule with different delivery approaches.

Scope of Assignment

• The overall objective of this consultancy is to support MC in generating evidence for an effective hybrid model of malaria vaccine delivery in highly seasonal malaria transmission settings. 
• This involves conducting quantitative survey to evaluate the impact of implementing the hybrid malaria vaccine immunization with different delivery approaches on malaria vaccination coverage, timeliness of vaccination, vaccine-preventable malaria parasitological outcomes, caregiver outcomes (vaccine awareness, knowledge and perceptions) and utilization of non-vaccine malaria prevention interventions.

Methodology

• This will involve a three-arm non-randomized controlled study based on repeated cluster-random sampling of households and eligible children before and after the introduction of the interventions. 
• Study arm units will be three (3) local government areas (LGAs) in Kebbi state while cluster sampling unit will be defined at an administrative unit below the LGA level, such as health facility catchment areas, villages or census enumeration areas. 
• The primary and secondary outcomes to be measured are listed below:

Primary outcomes:

• Vaccination coverage
• Incidence of parasitologically-confirmed clinical malaria episodes among vaccine-eligible children using enhanced passive case surveillance.

Secondary outcomes:

• Proportion of age-eligible children receiving 1/2/3 doses in the priming series
• Timeliness of vaccination dosing among children who received at least one malaria vaccine dose
• Occurrence of malaria severity and hospitalization, among vaccine-eligible children
• Caregivers’ awareness, knowledge and perception of the malaria vaccine
• Coverage and utilization of non-vaccine malaria prevention services (e.g. SMC, ITNs).

Note

• Data for the two primary outcomes (vaccination coverage and parasitologically confirmed malaria episodes) as well as secondary outcomes of interest under Objective 2 will be collected through two waves of household surveys. 
• The first survey wave will be conducted at baseline (shortly before the start of the interventions), while the second (endline) wave will be carried out six months after the start of the interventions. 
• The survey questionnaire will be developed in line with Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) standards, which will also allow for the collection of data pertaining to child, caregiver and household-level sociodemographic characteristics in each survey wave.

Specific Objectives
Specific Tasks for Research Assistants (12):

• Attend physical training on data collection and survey methods conducted by Research Team lead
• Conduct interviews in selected households using SurveyCTO
• Follow confidentiality and security procedures to ensure participants’ privacy is protected.
• Ensure the integrity of data during collection and upload
• Upload data on the SurveyCTO platform to server.

Deliverables:

• Deliverables for Research Assistants: Dataset of completed interviews submitted

Person Specification
Personnel Specification - Research Assistants (12):

• A minimum of Degree (BSc / HND) in Public Health, Social Sciences and Health related discipline
• At least 2 years experience in conducting public health research, particularly data collection for quantitative research
• Experience in the use of modern technology in research – use of phone for data collection, use of data collection tools (eg surveyCTO)
• Ability to speak both English and local language (eg Hausa)
• Familiarity with and respect for the tradition and culture of the locality
• Familiarity with terrain of the locality
• Availability for the whole period of the assignment.
• Must not be a staff of Government.

Application Closing Date
16th April, 2025 (Before 5:00pm).