NIH Technical Advisor, Health Security – Somalia – ReliefWeb

Introduction

The National Institute of Health (NIH) is the arm of Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services working towards building stronger response systems for future outbreaks and public health emergencies. The NIH is doing this through developing infrastructure, human resources and institutional capacities. Embedded within the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the NIH serves as Somalia’s National Focal Point (NFP) of the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. As part of this Role, the institute is the coordinator and secretariat of the implementation process of the IHR 2005 and the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).

Whereby its mandate is to ensure effective prevention, detection, preparedness and response to outbreaks and other public health emergencies to achieve universal health coverage and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063.

NIH Goal

To promote a safe, sustainable and a resilient community, through practical planning, hazard mitigation and partnership development.

NIH Specific goals

To reduce morbidity, mortality, disability and socio-economic disruptions due to public health threats and emergencies.

Scope of the Assignment

The position of Health Security Advisor is a full-time and the Portfolio Holder shall be required to support directly the office of the Executive Director of Somalia NIH and shall be required to carry-out the following tasks.

Conditions: 12 months with a possible extension of 6 months. Based in Mogadishu.

Key responsibilities.

• Provide strategic advice to the Executive Director of NIH Somalia on health security systems strengthening, pandemic preparedness, and emergency response systems in the context of International Health Regulations (2005).
• Assist the Executive Director of NIH Somalia in monitoring and evaluation of International Health Regulations (2005) core capacities.
• Be responsible for developing the annual IHR performance report.
• Development of emergency response plans and coordination of outbreak response activities for selected areas in that will be selected by the Executive Director of NIH together with the Technical teams.
• Undertake epidemiological studies and dissemination of outbreak investigation reports.
• Take responsibility for staff capacity building activities, including a plan for institutionalizing the field epidemiology training for front-line health workers.
• Assist the Executive Director of NIH Somalia in establishment and operationalization of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs) at Federal and Member States.
• Support coordination and strengthening of laboratory quality and bio-risk management systems together with the Executive Director of NIH and Technical teams.
• Provide strategic advice to the Executive Director of NIH Somalia on coordination and implementation of One Health programs (OH).
• Assist the Executive Director, the Communication Officer and the Technical teams in generation of regular bulletins on priority diseases trends and enhance the visibility for NIH operations by organizing dissemination workshops.
• Support the executive director and Program Development Coordinator to identify funding sources and support the development of concept notes and proposals.
• Assist the Executive Director of NIH Somalia in coordination of stakeholders’ meetings.
• Actively participate in project annual work planning, design, implementation, and reporting particularly related to service delivery and governance activities designed to strengthen the health system.
• Disseminate appropriate and relevant scientific and evidence-based technical information in support of health systems research to the stakeholders.
• Support the NIH in the development of a program vision that is strategically focused, responds to institutional needs and is coherent with the Health Sector Strategic plan III (2022-26).
• Support the operationalization of key strategies, policies and guidance for the strengthening of the health systems in Somalia, and on joint planning approaches with all stakeholders.
• Work closely with all relevant stakeholders in the field of health security in the country and externally, such as WHO and Africa CDC.
• Work closely with Public Health Agency Sweden and other partners in developing human resources and strengthened capacity and expertise of NIH.
• Any additional duties that may be outlined by the organization’s executive director.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: An advanced level university degree in epidemiology, medicine, Health Systems, and/or public health.

Experience

• Essential: At least 10 years of experience working at strategic level in International Health Regulations, health security, epidemiology, conducting disease surveillance, outbreak investigations and response.
• Desirable: International experience in the areas of management of public health emergencies including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries and humanitarian emergency context.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge, competency and professional skills on the public health aspects of infectious disease control, epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response with particular attention to application of an all-hazard approach in the context of the International Health Regulations and the use of descriptive epidemiology and principles of public health in communicable disease surveillance and response.
• Ability to process, analyze and interpret epidemiological and event-based surveillance data for epidemic and pandemic risk assessment. Familiarity with the health problems in the Region.
• Demonstrable skills in the use of epidemiological and statistical software (Epi-Info, STATA, SAS or R for statistical data analysis).
• Proficiency in the application of biostatistics to solving public health problems

Competencies

• Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent organization skills

Use of Language Skills

• Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
• Desirable: Fluency in Somali language is an added advantage.

Profile

• We are looking for a motivated person with a strong commitment towards supporting the health sector in Somalia who can interact with sensitivity and respect for diversity. A capacity for working under pressure is essential, as work can be performed under complex and demanding conditions, where the focus can shift due to changes in priority.

The candidate is expected to have excellent analytical and communicative skills in health research, show initiative and take both a hands-on and an analytical approach to tasks and problems