Health Promotion Community Engagement Officer at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Implement Health Promotion and Community Engagement (HPCE) activities with patients and local population to make the bridge between the community and the medical activities!
• Inform patients and communities about MSF and services it provides.
• According to medical priorities, deliver information to the patients and community on specific health topics
• Implement activities of health education and awareness (sessions in schools, churches, community), under the indications and supervision of the HPCE Supervisor.
• Under the guide of HPCE Supervisor, assess the impact of activities (with questions, verifications and behaviors observations), and report problems, success and constraints to him/her.
• Collect all type of information related to specific health and living conditions of the population, in particular to identify the most vulnerable populations to target.
• Report to HPCE Supervisor: activities, problems met, strengths and constraints.
• Establish and maintain contacts with social partners, including other NGO’s, governmental health services that can provide answers to social problems.
• Keep education and communication areas clean and tidy and professional materials available.
• Participate in creation of any material needed for the activities of information, education and communication.

MSF Section / Context Specific Accountabilities

• Contribute to the Health Seeking Behaviour Assesment by gathering community insights, barriers and facilitators to accessing care
• Identify community focal points and establish a strategy of collaboration with them (services promotion, feedback/suggestions/concerns collection, awareness raising)
• Together with the Health Promotion and Community Engagement (HPCE) supervisor, ensure HPCE materials are tailored to literacy levels and cultural norms
• In collaboration with relevant stakeholders and HPCE supervisor, contribute to the design of the survivor referral pathway and ensure clear, accessible information is shared with communities and relevant staff
• Contribute to training/capacity building of community focal points on violence awareness raisons with a specific focus on gender-based violence, sexual violence and survivor-centred approach, including principles of confidentiality, respect, non-discrimination, and informed consent.
• Contribute to the data collection based on the system decided at project level
• Safeguard confidentiality to ensure all survivor-related information is handled with strict confidentiality and follow protocols for safe documentation, storage, and communication of sensitive information

Minimum Required Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• Essential: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Social Work, Behavioural Sciences, Public Health, or Community Health.

Experience

• Essential: Minimum of 1-year professional experience in health promotion activities (or prevention, counselling, education and mobilization, social work, teaching)

Desirable:

• Experience with MSF and qualitative research methodologies (e.g. focus groups, interviews, participatory assessments); proficiency in basic IT tools (MS Office, email, data entry system).

Skills:

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to adapt messages to diverse audiences
• Capacity to adopt a community-based approach
• Cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity, particularly in working with vulnerable populations
• Ability to build trust and maintain confidentiality, especially with addressing sensitive issues such as gender-based violence
• Team spirit, fostering collaboration and capacity building among MSF staff and community focal points
• Behavioural flexibility
• Stress management
• Knowledge of socio-economical context, capacity to identify its key people
• Fluent in Ibo language and English
• Computer literacy.