Epidemiology Activity Manager at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Purpose of the Position

• Define, implement and follow up epidemiological activities, ensuring the proper implementation of protocols, the development of appropriate methodology and the quality of studies to identify risk factors for diseases and determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice and for preventive medicine to be used in the missions.

General Accountabilities

• Define, schedule and organize, in close collaboration with other medical team members, the annual epidemiological activity plan as well as its associated budget in order to improve early detection of risk factors to better define treatment approaches and preventive practices.
• Lead the implementation of the protocols and epidemiological methodology, ensuring all related staff follows them in order to improve research efficiency
• Supervise, according to annual plan, epidemiological research activity ensuring:
  • That contacts with community groups and authorities are aligned with the objectives of the research
  • That the population participating in the research is properly informed
  • Reporting on the progress of data collection, on ongoing analysis of research or on any issue causing delay is done in order to achieve epidemiological goals on time.
• Advise the MSF medical team on epidemiological matters that arise in the course of their activity research, and, when necessary, design and implement epidemiological tools and data collection to meet new epidemiological needs.
• Ensure , in coordination with logistics department, that national or international shipment of laboratory samples acquired for research purposes is done within datelines and according to protocols, following security rules and keeping conditions needed for the sample
• Supervise data filing procedures ensuring that all epidemiology software tools are properly used and are updated regularly, in order to ensure full data traceability and availability
• Plan and supervise, in close coordination with the HR department and the MSF vision, policies and values, the associated processes (job description, recruitment, training, performance evaluation, development and internal/external communication) of the epidemiological staff in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required, improve people technical capabilities, contribution and their commitment to MSF values.
• Supervises, in close coordination with the logistic manager, that research equipment and material is properly maintained and stock level is above minimum point in order to ensure availability and research activity continuity.
• Organize and/or assist medical staff in preparing epidemiological reports related to health facilities and to researched areas and participate in operational monthly reports.

Section / Context Specific Accountabilities
General:

• To organize the MSF-OCA epidemiological objectives in the mission in collaboration with the Medco.
• To provide supervisory, training and practical epidemiological support to the projects and NERU for surveillance system/data collection, data analysis and to ensure proper implementation of data systems during emergency response.
• To complete routine weekly and monthly epidemiological analysis and reports.
• To serve as the focal person for data collection, and analysis in collaboration with the MTL and data processor for the respective project as well as NERU team.
• Assist MoH in training MoH surveillance officers and clinicians in principles of Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Response.
• Where needed, to design and implement surveillance system in the community and/or in MoH health facility, ensuring that the mission has the information it needs to respond effectively to the needs of the population.
• To assist in designing and implementing methods to determine prevalence and causes of diseases in accordance with mission needs and advocacy objectives.
• To develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation plans for targeted diseases, research/outbreaks/surveillance/training/communication in general and context- and mission-specific projects

Outbreak response:

• Establish line listing in case of outbreak and provide analysis and epidemiological advice on outbreak response;
• Guide activities of medical staff for surveillance or active case finding, including ensuring understanding of reasons for case definitions and data recording (briefing of all new staff);
• Ensure the appropriate documentation of case information & application of case definitions, and continually check data quality;
• Recruit and manage data collection/entry staff;
• Provide concise, relevant and timely updates on trends to coordination staff, and when appropriate to external collaborators/networks (MoH, other NGOs);
• Analyze the surveillance/outbreak and mortality data to provide epidemiological input to project activities, such as locations for active case finding, interventions (Water and Sanitation) etc.
• Potentially, support vaccine campaign related data collection
• Potentially carry out vaccine coverage or other vaccine related studies.
• Prepare the analysis for Sitrep

Conduct surveys, such as vaccination coverage, nutrition or mortality surveys:

• Elaborate concept notes and protocol adapting the methodology of the standard MSF protocol to context of the survey
• Elaborate the survey micro plan
• Recruit the survey staff (interviewer, data encoder…)
• Train the survey staff
• Supervise the survey implementation and ensure that survey staff follow the survey procedures
• Ensure the consistency and the completeness of the data collected
• Analyze the data
• Write the survey report

Mission-level surveillance:

• Ensure regular, timely receipt MoH surveillance data for ongoing analysis of epidemic diseases;
• Maintain regular contact with other surveillance partners (NCDC, WHO, UNICEF, etc.)
• Represent MSF-OCA Mission at surveillance/cluster meetings;
• Based on incoming data and analysis, write and disseminate weekly surveillance reports to share across coordination;
• Provide input on project-level medical strategy and interventions;
• Assist Medco with planning and overall medical strategy using surveillance analysis.

Communication and Advocacy

• Contributes to the advocacy strategy as expressed in the Country Policy.
• Submits monthly Mission Epi reports (or weekly when indicated in case of outbreak) to the Medical Coordinator (Medco) and relevant Project Coordinator(s) during emergency responses.

Requirements & Qualifications
To apply for this role, applicants MUST meet the following criteria:
Education:

• Essential degree (or masters) in Epidemiology or Public Health with extensive training in statistics and epidemiology Desirable, medical or nursing related diploma. Desirable specialization or training in tropical diseases

Experience:

• Essential working experience of at least two years in field epidemiology related jobs Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs

Languages:

• Mission language essential; local working language desirable

Knowledge:

• Essential computer literacy (word, excel, internet

Competencies:

• Commitment to MSF principles, Teamwork and Cooperation, People Management and Development, Service oriented ,Analytical Thinking, Cross-cultural Awareness and Stress Management.