UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a fair chance

Uganda is one of the over 190 countries and territories around the world where we work to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child’s path. Together with the Government of Uganda and partners we work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the objectives of the Uganda National Development Plan, and the planned outcomes of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
Visit this link for more information on Uganda Country Office https://www.unicef.org/uganda/

How can you make a difference?

Background

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights and well being of every child, irrespective of geographical location. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. This mission is UNICEF’s blue print — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action.

There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and social protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF’s HIV response for children ensures that neither age, poverty, gender inequality, nor social exclusion determine access to life saving HIV prevention, treatment, and care. UNICEF and its partners’ responses seek to ensure all children are born free of HIV and remain HIV free for the first two decades of life, from birth through adolescence. The response also ensures that all children living with HIV (LHIV) have access to the treatment, care and the support they need to remain alive and healthy. This is UNICEF’s vision of an AIDS-free generation starting with children.

Ending AIDS among children is vital to ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 – the overarching goal of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV /AIDS (UNAIDS) of which UNICEF is a cofounding partner. UNICEF envisions an AIDS-free generation for all children and their families and has consistently supported Uganda’s efforts to achieve the UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 super fast-track targets and the global goal to end paediatric AIDS by 2030.

Uganda has been considered a largely successful story in HIV programming due to its bold policies and is on the right trajectory to achieve the UNAIDS’ 95-95-95 super fast-track targets for PLHIV. However, the children and adolescents’ cascades lag the adult cascades across the three 95s, but the gap is more pronounced with the first (identification) and third 95 (viral load suppression). This lag is despite two decades of consistent efforts and innovations to improve HIV care and treatment outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV. Relatedly, the last mile toward elimination of vertical transmission of HIV continues to elude the country due to observed reversal and stagnation of early PMTCT gains.

The lower viral load suppression in children and adolescents is attributed to i)ART non-adherence due to non-palatable formulations; ii) high frequency dosing and iii) lower retention rates in care. Poor retention of PMTCT mother-infant
pairs, CALHIV is largely attributed to stigma, socio-economic barriers, lack of developmentally appropriate care for CALHIV.

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a “differentiated care approach” to address the unique challenges faced by different PLHIV subpopulations. The core principle of the differentiated care approach is the acknowledgment of diversity beneficiary sub population and the incorporation of preferences of care for the heterogenous PLHIV. Differentiated Service Delivery equally aims at cost reduction and increased efficiencies using already existing resources.

The AIDS Control Programme (ACP) of the Ministry of Health, Uganda adapted and rolled out Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) models for case finding, linkage to care and treatment, in 2017. The guidelines adapted differentiated models of care for PLHIV at facility and community level with HIV testing and ART collection points are aligned to specific PLHIV needs; notably adult populations were prioritized for the community-based models of care. Program data for adults LHIV who have been transitioned to DSD care at facility or community level demonstrates improved retention in care, greater psychosocial support as well sustained and improved treatment outcomes.

Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) models are designed to be patient-centred and current data demonstrates that they serve individual and sub-population needs while reducing workload at health facilities;, the current guidelines unfortunately do not explicitly provide for community models for mother-infant pairs [PMTCT mothers], children and adolescents LHIV, and therefore inadvertently negate the “patient-centred care” requisite for these subpopulations. The specific subpopulations affected include children <2 years (children still under exclusive care of the mothers), mother-infant pairs [PMTCT], non-suppressed CALHIV, children and adolescents LHIV (CALHIV) in school, CALHIV with negative care givers and those whose appointments are not integrated with the care giver appointment. As a result of this, community differentiated service delivery for mother-infant pairs [PMTCT mothers], children and adolescents LHIV is not clear cut, and this impedes its implementation toward the last mile.

With UNICEF support, MOH Uganda will develop national guidelines explicit for implementation of community DSD for all subpopulations of mother-infant pairs [PMTCT mothers], children and adolescents LHIV, with emphasis on WHAT care must be provided, WHEN to provide it, WHO to provide it and WHERE to provide from.

A consultant will be recruited by the Health and HIV output under the Child Survival and Development (CSD) to lead the development of national guidelines for the implementation of community DSD for all subpopulations of mother-infant pairs [PMTCT mothers], children and adolescents LHIV – in close collaboration with MOH – over a period of 45 days.

Purpose of assignment and scope:

The objective of the consultancy: –

1. To develop national guidelines for the implementation of community DSD for all subpopulations of mother-infant pairs [PMTCT mothers], children and adolescents LHIV

Key Responsibilities:

1. Collate and synthesize content from the consultation meetings for mother-infant pairs [ PMTCT mothers], caregivers of HIV Exposed infants [HEIs] and CLHIV, adolescents LHIV and the key technical stakeholders.
2. In close collaboration with MoH, plan and lead the writing, validation, and dissemination for the community DSD guidelines of children and adolescents LHIV.

Main Tasks:

• Facilitate two separate consultation meetings: One for caregivers of HIV exposed Infants [HEIs], children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) and another for adolescents and young people LHIV to document the learnings and ideas suggested by the caregivers, mother-infant pairs and adolescents and young people LHIV
• Facilitate a consultation workshop with key technical stakeholders and document good/promising implementation practices for optimal community DSD, mother-infant pairs [ PMTCT mothers], caregivers of HIV Exposed infants [HEIs] and CLHIV, adolescents LHIV
• Facilitate and provide technical leadership to a small core team in a workshop to develop the first draft of the DSD guidelines for children, mother-infant pairs and adolescents using the collated draft from the consultation meetings held with caregivers, adolescents, and young people LHIV and technical officers
• Facilitate the validation of community DSD implementation guidelines for children, mother-infant pairs, and adolescents.
• Revise the draft DSD guidelines in liaison with a dedicated smaller core group to incorporate revisions from the validation meeting and this group will finalize the DSD guidelines for children, mother-infant pairs, and adolescents. This group will also finalize the operationalization plan.
• Facilitate the national dissemination of the guidelines targeting all key stakeholders represented. These include: MOH, MOES, MOGLSD, ADPs, IP technical officers, PLHIV networks, and DHO representatives. The national dissemination workshop will be held in Kampala in the last week of August 2022

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education

• Advanced university degree in public health, social/political sciences or another relevant field

Work Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work experience at national and international level in implementation of differentiated service delivery models, health research and analysis in the area of HIV, primary health care, community health programming
• Extensive experience producing timely and high-quality reports for UN systems
• Knowledge of the Uganda health system or experience working in Uganda is an advantage

Key Competencies

• Excellent analytical, communication, advocacy and research skills.
• Computer literacy, especially MS Office programmes, is required.
• Fluency in English
• Knowledge of the Uganda context is preferred.
• Understanding of local institutional, policy and legal frameworks is preferred
• Ensured adherence to MOH guidelines and SOPs related to COVID-19 prevention and control

Conditions:

• Consultant is responsible for providing his/her own work materials – computer, software, etc.
• All remuneration must be within the contract agreement and against the agreed deliverables
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or Contractor.
• No contract may commence unless the consultant provides a certificate of completion of a mandatory course on “prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse”. A certificate to be submitted with the signed contract should have been obtained in the last three months.
• Consultants will be required to sign the health statement for consultants/Individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, if applicable.
• The Form ‘Designation, change or revocation of beneficiary’ has to be completed by the consultant before the commencement of travel.
• Clearance from DHR required for former UNICEF staff.
• Clearance from the Government required for civil servants.

Application Procedure/Call for Proposals

Interested candidates are required to submit a technical proposal on how they intend to approach the work. The proposal should include a timeline, and methodology, based on the Terms of Reference. The proposal must also include detailed CV of the consultant, as well as a financial proposal, clearly indicating daily rate for professional fees. The financial proposal must be all-inclusive of all costs (consultancy fees and where applicable air fares, airport transfers, daily living expenses). This is an international level consultancy and competitive market rates should apply.

Evaluation of Candidate:

The Technical proposal is weighted at 75% and 25% for the Financial proposal.

The consultant will be competitively selected from a list of applicants based on their past experience of doing similar work.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Advertised: E. Africa Standard Time
Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time

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