Laboratory Assistant Consultant
( 2304184 )
Contractual Arrangement : External consultant
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : 3 Months
Job Posting: Aug 25, 2023, 12:29:52 PM
Laboratory Assistant Terms of Reference
Position
The laboratory Vsystem
Workplace
The position is based at the Ministry of Health, National Directorate of Health, Department of Epidemiology, Maputo, Mozambique. The holder may be required to travel on a mission of service to other provinces ofthe country if necessary.
Structural Position
The Laboratory Assistant reports to the Head of the Department of Epidemiology at MISAU, who will assign duties as appropriate, under the overall supervision of the polio outbreak response coordinator in Mozambique. The consultant will cooperate with all personnel working in Maputo and other provinces in close coordination with the GPEI Surveillance Team, WHO National Office, appropriate personnel of the Ministry of Health, WHO and other international partners.
Basic position function
The Employeewill perform the functions of Labotorial Assistant at the WHO Office in Mozambique-Maputo, with responsibility for the daily activities of quality control of surveillance data in support of epidemiological surveillance (verification of information, feedback to field personnel, among others).
Main Duties/Responsibilities
General duties
- Work with the provinces to improve the transport of samples of PFA, Measles, Environmental Surveillance and other samples that prove necessary, from the field to the central laboratory and from this to the South African reference laboratory for all cases of Measles, PFA, Environmental Surveillance and others that prove necessary;
- verify the integrity and validity of surveillance data in all case investigation forms received at central level in accordance with established verification procedures;
- Prepare a complete and up-to-date list of all biomedical laboratories in Mozambique by Neighborhood, district, province, indicating the capacity of the laboratories and ownership (Public/Private)National network of laboratories;
- Establish an end-to-end sample tracking system from health units to national/international laboratories;
- Ensure that Biosafety measures in the laboratory are well implemented;
- Assign 40% of the total time to conducting fieldwork to monitor the notification of cases of PFA, Measles and other notifiable or emerging/re-emerging diseases;
- Establish a complete contact list of provincial, district and health unit surveillance officers;
- Monitors corrections and compilationsof information identified with field researchers and documents them appropriately;
- Ensure that feedback to field investigators and health facilities on all quality controls of laboratory samples is done on a permanent basis;
- Liaise and facilitate the coordination of feedback on laboratory results toprovinces, districts and health facilities on a permanent basis;
- Maintains the archivingof feedback documents of laboratory data, in accordance with WHO procedures;
- Establish a system for the control of vaccine carriers used in the transport of samples, which includes their reception at national level, decontamination and return to the provinces;
- Monitor provincial stocks of sample collection kits;
- Perform any other functions that may be reasonably necessary to ensure good cooperation between MISAU, the WHO National Office in Mozambique and partners.
A ctives
- It ensures the full monitoring of the quality of the notification data, managing multiple means of communication (e.g. electronic communication, mobile phone, and others as applicable).
- Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, the ability to work independently, and fluency in Portuguese are essential.
Position elements
Supervision received : Supervision by the Head of Department of Epidemiology and the coordinator of the response to the polio outbreak in Mozambique. Must be self-taught and able to set priorities in the work schedule.
Available Guidelines : Basic guidelines include training and correspondence. There are also a variety of policies, precedents, and unwritten practices.
Exercise of judgment : Initiative and independent judgment are required by the holder to determine what needs to be done and the best working methods. However, intensive coordination with the various relevant WHO partners is essential. The holder must be versatile and flexible to adapt quickly to changing situations.
Authority to make commitments: As delegated by supervisors.
Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts: Necessary to deal personally with peers and colleagues from the Ministry of Health, national, provincial and district colleagues of WHO in Mozambique and other necessary partners.
educational qualifications
- Essential:- A degree in medicine, nursing, social sciences and other health/public health sciences, medical laboratory, environmental sanitation or in a discipline related to emergency and disaster management from a recognized institution.
- Desirable:- Training in surveillance and immunization databases is essential. Training in surveillance, mass vaccination and response to communicable disease outbreaks would be an asset.
Experience
- Essential:- 10 years of relevant experience in data management for surveillance and immunization system is essential. Experience in responding to an outbreak of polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, yellow fever and other health emergencies would be an asset. Field experience in case-based surveillance of public health and immunization response activities at the subnational level would be an advantage
- Desirable:- Experience with WHO or another UN agency or an international partner supporting data management for polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases would be an asset.
Generally
- Computer skills
o Required: MS word, Excel, Powerpoint,
o Additional advantage: Analytics, such as ODK-based tools.
– Language (speech and writing)
Portuguese is essential
French is an advantage
