Purpose of the post: The position of Federal Surveillance Officer has a nationwide role and is responsible and accountable for the quality of poliovirus surveillance in all districts of Pakistan. The Federal Surveillance Officer is expected to provide strategic and technical leadership to provincial and district teams. The incumbent to this post would be specifically accountable for: the management and oversight of all surveillance-related activities and associated databases, as well as other specialized surveillance systems; and, ensuring full implementation of the NEAP and the Surveillance-specific Work Plan derived from the NEAP.
Overview of the programme: The continued transmission of poliovirus in Pakistan has become a national emergency. Pakistan now risks becoming the last remaining reservoir of endemic poliovirus transmission in the World and the only remaining threat to achieving polio eradication globally. Recently the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) Programme has made tremendous progress by reaching and vaccinating persistently missed children and detecting and responding rapidly to the presence of the polio virus whenever and wherever it is identified. Improvements to the Programme are being evidenced in the declining number of wild poliovirus (WPV) cases. Detecting every poliovirus transmission chain in a timely manner is an objective of the programme. To achieve this, surveillance must – at a minimum – meet global standards in all districts. Under the 2016/2017 NEAP, the surveillance system was enhanced through the implementation of a “Surveillance for Eradication” Work plan. Through the concerted implementation of the plan, surveillance systems have improved across the provinces and districts. In 2017/2018, the surveillance system will aim for an additional performance boost in multiple areas.
Organizational context: Under the technical supervision of the Surveillance Team Lead and the Federal Polio Team Leader, with the overall supervision of the WHO Representative, the incumbent will undertake the following duties:
1. Provide strategic leadership to the National Polio Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as pertains to the development and implementation of a “Surveillance for Eradication” plan in line with the broad objectives of the National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP).
2. Responsible for the full implementation of the NEAP and the achievement of NEAP indicators in areas assigned to them by the Supervisor.
3. Coordinate closely with Provincial EOCs and WHO provincial teams in all aspects of surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), measles and MNT in the province. Specifically:
3.1. To provide strategic guidance to the provincial teams on all aspects of poliovirus surveillance.
3.2. To ensure all districts, divisions, and provinces develop Annual and Quarterly Work Plans; all Work Plans.
3.3. To ensure all districts, divisions, and provinces have and submit monthly activity plans to respective supervisors and to the Federal Office.
3.4. To plan regular evaluations and review of programme and provide policy guidance.
3.5. To conduct regular supportive supervisory visits to provinces, and ensure implementation of planned surveillance activities at all levels and strict adherence to SOPs, guidelines, and protocols.
3.6. To assure a line list of AFP cases is maintained by each district and an updated list is sent to the province each week, and that a computerized line list of all cases from each district is maintained in the province and provided to the Federal level weekly.
3.7. To conduct quarterly meetings with provincial surveillance officers and district polio eradication officers.
3.8. To compile surveillance indicators for each province for use in improving AFP, measles and MNT surveillance.
3.9. Transfer knowledge and skills to district, divisional and provincial surveillance teams, through trainings and direct coaching.
4. Participate in meetings of the Provincial Expert Committee to review AFP cases, requiring expert review; provide strategic guidance to the Committee.
5. Assist in coordinating surveillance activities with NGOs and other groups working with minority populations such as within Afghan refugee camps.
6. Participate in the planning and implementation of AFP surveillance training workshops within the province for Ministry of Health staff, private sector health care practitioners, NGOs and district polio eradication officers in the province.
7. Coordinate the activities of provincial polio eradication officers with the Provincial Polio Team Leader and Provincial EPI manager and provide frequent updates of surveillance information.
8. Support the environmental surveillance for polioviruses including: a) providing assistance to the districts in the selection of the sites for environmental surveillance, in coordination with the National Technical Team; b) monitor the receipt of the samples as per schedule, while keeping a liaison with the national level; and, c) provide feedback to the provinces.
9. Assist in preparing / performing situational analyses and reports for the advisory bodies and other organizations / institutions.
10. To collect, review, summarize and analyze the monthly reports of field technical staff and provide: a) summary to the provincial team leader; and b) technical feedback to the report originators.
11. Conduct any urgently-needed field visits and cover whenever there is an exceptional shortage of WHO in technical field activities.
12. Prepare regular programme reports and follow-up documentation of special activities for eradication of polio. Collect and collate the provincial performance monthly report and revise it with the federal team leader for submission to the WHO regional office.
13. Assist in maintaining regular contact with the partner organizations / bodies for polio eradication.
14. Upon the specific request and approval of the supervisor, provide technical support and leadership in the implementation of Supplementary Immunization Activities, including:
14.1 Technical input for planning, supervision, and monitoring of provincial supplemental immunization activities required for polio eradication, including national immunization days, mopping-up campaigns and outbreak response vaccination.
14.2 Technical support and guidance to the campaign team, for the development and updating of detailed plans of work in line with the programme objective and targets set in the National & Provincial Polio Eradication Plans;
14.3 Assist in reviewing reports submitted by provinces and analyze the data related to the polio eradication initiative. Provide feedback to various health authorities at the districts and provincial level. The timelines for data analysis and feedback have to be met.
14.4 Provide technical inputs for the planning and implementation of high-risk and transit-point immunization as well as migrant population strategies.
14.5 Help in developing strategies and plans for the training of EPI staff regarding polio eradication. Collaborate with routine EPI programme staff in developing plans to ensure that supplemental campaign activities facilitate improvements in the routine EPI programme
14.6 Develop and update detailed plans for LQAS activities and to conduct respective training to programme staff in the field as well as Federal office.
15. Undertake any other task, duty and/or activity assigned by supervisor and/or WHO Representative.
Professional Experience:
- Strong technical knowledge in public health, epidemiology, infectious disease surveillance, disease outbreak investigation and data management, including analysis and interpretation of infectious disease surveillance data.
- Field experience in public health initiatives required.
- Proven experience in the successful implementation and management of public health-related projects.
- Proven experience in contributing to the setting of public health-related policies.
- Proven experience in engaging with members of government and partners at all levels.
- Professional experience in Acute Flacid Surveillance (AFP) desirable.
- Knowledge of the WHO mandate and goals of the Polio Eradication Initiative desirable.
- Five years of experience required, of which three should be specific to surveillance of infectious diseases and other vaccine preventable diseases.
Education:
- Degree in medicine.
- Post-graduate degree in public health or epidemiology.
- Publications in peer-review journals on the subject of infectious disease control, elimination and/or eradication is desirable.
- Participation in field-epidemiology training programs and/or the Epidemic intelligence Service (EIS), is an added advantage.
Competencies
- Communicating in a credible and effective way.
- Producing results.
- Fostering integration and teamwork.
- Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
- Promoting WHO's position in health leadership
- Demonstrates technical knowledge and expertise; can provide solutions and answer technical queries from others.
- Transfers knowledge and expertise openly and freely, providing guidance, coaching and advice on technical areas.
- Consults counterparts as required and takes responsibility for work of own team.
- Maintains confidentiality and treats sensitive information with discretion; ensures that policies and procedures are followed in accordance with the Organization’s professional, ethical and legal standards.
- Treats all people with dignity and respect. Relates well to people with different cultures, gender, orientations, backgrounds and/or positions; examines own behaviour to avoid stereotypical responses; considers issues from the perspective of others and values their diversity.
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