Job Description

GH-TAMS is seeking public health candidates for a six-month consultancy based in Zambia working with the USAID Mission as acting Child Health Advisor. Start date is approximately September 19, 2022.

Background

Since 1977, USAID has supported the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to improve the health of its citizens. The Ministry of Health has been a proactive partner and has adopted many evidence-based policies, resulting in one of the most conducive health policy environments in the region. Relationships between the U.S. government and other donors are strong, and coordination between all parties is regular and ongoing.

Zambia is a Maternal and Child Health Priority Country, and receives approximately $8-12 million annually. Over the years, Zambia has made great strides in improving health, as highlighted in the 2018 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) that compared progress over five years compared to the previous 2013-2014 ZDHS. In this period, the number of women delivering babies in health centers rather than at home increased significantly from 67 to 84 percent, and births attended by a skilled provider increased from 64 to 80 percent. As a result, pregnancy-related maternal mortality dropped 30 percent—from 398 to 278 deaths per 100,000 live births. This reduction in maternal mortality builds on the successes achieved under the USAID Saving Mothers Giving Life initiative, and other investments in maternal and child health and family planning. Between 2007 and 2018, for instance, unmet need for family planning among married Zambian women decreased from 27 percent to 20 percent, contributing to the reduction in maternal mortality.

The majority or about 61 percent of under-five mortality falls within the post-neonatal period (1-59 months) and is largely due to preventable illnesses such as acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhea, malaria, and under nutrition. Under-five mortality has declined from 75 to 61 deaths per 1,000 live births over the five year period. This reduction is more significant in older children, with a smaller reduction in infant deaths from 45 to 42 per 1,000 live births and a concerning increase in neonatal mortality from 24 to 27 per 1,000 live births. Chronic malnutrition (stunting) for children under five decreased from 40 percent in 2013 to 35 percent in 2018, while four percent are acutely malnourished (wasted), and 12 percent are underweight. Seventy-three percent of children aged below six months are exclusively breastfed, though only 11 percent of children aged 6-23 months are appropriately fed based on recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. Basic vaccination coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months increased from 68 to 75 percent.

Rural, northern Zambia continues to suffer from a high malaria burden, with prevalence for children under five at more than 20 percent in some provinces. Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene remain very low, particularly in rural areas. An estimated 6.3 million Zambians lack regular access to safe water, 11.2 million lack access to sanitation, and 14 million do not practice appropriate basic hygiene behaviors.

Though Zambia has seen many successes in health and overall declines in maternal and child mortality, significant challenges remain considering the disparities in coverage of interventions and the quality of care at subnational levels. Thus, the unfinished child survival and nutrition agenda, ensuring essential newborn care, and preventing maternal mortality are areas for more intensive focus and action.

Role and Responsibilities

The consultant will provide guidance, monitoring and senior level technical assistance to the USAID/Zambia Health Team and the Government of the Republic of Zambia. S/he will assist USAID and the GRZ to strengthen technical and programmatic expertise by sharing evidence-based best practices, including integration of child health with maternal, newborn, HIV, nutrition, and malaria activities during implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation efforts. S/he will emphasize GRZ led activities that strengthen the quality and effectiveness of child health services; support task shifting efforts to reach underserved populations (especially to reach zero dose and under-immunized children); participate in national technical working groups to assure the integration of child health priorities in national programming, including linkages to nutrition and the first 1,000 days of life; support effective and culturally appropriate behavior change communications strategies during program design, implementation, coordination and monitoring; work with the Health Team, USG, and implementing and donor partners to ensure maximum program synergies and targeted results are achieved; use community based networks to connect beneficiaries to services; and raise awareness of child health issues.

The consultant will work closely with senior level counterparts in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Community Development, Social Welfare (MCDSW), donors, cooperating partners, and other stakeholders in the areas of child health, to advance national level health policies and strategies. In addition, s/he may provide technical assistance in other health areas as assigned or as need arises.

1. Programmatic Support 45%

Support USAID’s child health portfolio of activities.

Provide technical and programmatic guidance to the project/s.

Review annual work plans, annual and semi-annual reports, and technical deliverables to ensure compliance with performance expectations.

Support strategies and detailed implementation plans for improving child health services and systems to improve CH outcomes under USAID/Zambia’s Health Investment Plan, inclusive of immunization, integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI), and integrated community case management (iCCM) service delivery in especially low-performing regions.

Ensure that implementing partners are in compliance with all relevant USAID regulations and procedures particularly those related to Child Health.

Conduct site visits to review program implementation and meet with beneficiaries. Based on the information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to the Health Team and implementing partners.

Based on observations, site visits, assessment reports, performance statistics and other available data, monitor progress towards results and make programmatic recommendations to strengthen project/s implementation and ensure the achievement of key results.

Prepare reports needed for USAID and USG planning and reporting processes.

Ensure proper coordination of project activities with other related activities done by other cooperating or implementing partners.

Ensure adequate integration and/or coordination with activities undertaken by the MOH and Ministry of community Development, social Welfare (MCDSW) at the national, provincial and district level, as may be applicable.

Since each program works in an integrated environment, ensure appropriate integration and interaction with activities funded from different funding streams.

2. Thought Leadership and Technical Assistance 45%

Support the implementation of focused action on child health, particularly to improve equitable access to quality health services for children 1-59 months old in community and facility care delivered in public and private sectors; promote early illness recognition and care seeking; strengthen data quality and use at all levels; and promote more responsive and resilient primary care systems.

Collaborate with key USAID partners to develop and scale up in selected low performing regions a sustainable, integrated, community-based child health model that includes evidence-based activities for improved health of infants and children.

Provide technical support and recommendations to the USAID Health Team regarding child health and investments and future programming, including design and modification of program activities, determination of program direction, monitoring and evaluation, and corrective action.

Ensure appropriate coordination between the USAID Health Team and other relevant mission and Washington teams for efficient and effective programming of Child Health activities.

Work closely with other health team colleagues, particularly with the Maternal and Newborn Health Advisor, Nutrition Advisor and the President’s Malaria Initiative to avoid duplication of efforts, find synergies in the activities undertaken, and promote efficiencies in program planning and implementation.

Advocate for and ensure integration of child health activities with other related activities.

Maintain a working knowledge of child health epidemiology and trends and needs.

Work with USAID staff to monitor USAID-funded and non USAID- funded Zambian research related to child health and related behavior change communications interventions.

Prepare the child health sections of the Mission’s annual reports, and other briefing documents as requested.

Perform other duties as requested that support the overall goal of the Health Team, particularly activities deemed appropriate by the Deputy Health Office Director.

3. External Technical Assistance 10%

Coordinate USAID’s Child Health portfolio with the GRZ, UNICEF, cooperating partners, and key stakeholders.

Ensure that the Health Team is actively represented and provides key technical input at national forums, technical working groups, and steering committees.

Identify and implement actions to advance activities that address child health needs in an integrated manner across different sectors, including nutrition, immunization, early childhood development, malaria, and HIV treatment in children.

Qualifications

Education

Postgraduate Degree in Medicine, Pediatrics, Public Health, Social Science, Demography, or Epidemiology required.

Prior Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years professional level experience working in the areas of newborn, child health or nutrition and managing public health programs.

Experience working in the Zambian health sector, particularly in areas of child health and public health.

Experience with donor programming and budgeting is desirable.

Experience in monitoring and evaluation, including experience providing M&E technical assistance in health projects in developing countries required.

Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) written and oral English proficiency is required.

Job Knowledge

Knowledge of child health and related disciplines such as HIV/AIDS, nutrition, immunization, malaria, and infectious diseases is required.

Knowledge and demonstrated strategic planning and management experience in managing public health programs in general.

Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, including indicators.

Knowledge of and experience in project design, implementation, and evaluation.

Skills and Abilities

Ability to identify new trends and challenges regarding CH technical and programmatic issues, define their parameters, and develop innovative conceptual approaches to address the trends/challenges.

Ability to work with donors and different cadres of Zambian Government counterparts in a collaborative manner.

Demonstrated ability to communicate (orally and in writing) and work effectively as part of a multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary team.

Demonstrated negotiation and diplomatic skills and ability to facilitate agreement among various partners to promote the CH agenda.

Excellent computer skills in the google suite, and full functionality in using the internet to solve problems and research information, such as USG and USAID regulatory guidance, best practices and latest trends in Child Health.

Strong program management skills (work plans, budgeting, results reporting)

About the Organization

The Global Health Technical Assistance and Mission Support Project (GH-TAMS) is a five-year USAID-funded activity providing the Bureau for Global Health (GH) and USAID field missions with high quality technical expertise to achieve the Agency’s foreign assistance global health mission. With start-up in the fall of 2019, GH-TAMS follows the success of the Global Health Program Cycle Improvement Project (GH Pro).

GH-TAMS technical assistance covers a broad range of technical areas and cross-cutting issues such as HIV/AIDS. family planning, MNCH, infectious disease, TB, health finance, reproductive health, organizational development, OVC, project design, facilitation, M&E and strategic planning.

Project assignments are located in Washington D.C. and worldwide in Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Assignments typically range from two weeks to six months in duration.