Medical Officer (Coordinator Polio Eradication & VPD Surveillance) at World Health Organization (WHO)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

• To stop the longstanding polio and other vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and sustain polio eradication and reduce childhood morbidity and mortality attributable to all vaccine preventable diseases.
• Lay the foundation and programme direction towards achieving measles and rubella elimination and other vaccine preventable disease elimination and control goals.
• This will be achieved by supporting implementation of high-quality polio eradication activities and high, equitable coverage of routine and supplemental immunization activities for all people along the life-course and introduction of underutilized and new lifesaving vaccines, in accordance with the global and regional goals and commitment and the Immunization Agenda 2030

Description Of Duties

The incumbent will perform the following duties:

• Take lead in the provision of a strategic vision and technical advice to the country on stopping the long-running outbreaks of polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, strengthening routine Immunization, and sustaining polio eradication.
• Coordinate immunization and polio eradication donors and partners to support immunization and polio eradication in Nigeria, including resource mobilization, timely utilization of funds and timely donor reporting. Coordinate support for polio eradication activities in Nigeria with IST, AFRO and GPEI through the Incidence Management Support Unit (IMST) hosted by IST, AFRO.
• Strengthen national decision-making processes through the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG). Guide the development and updating of the National Emergency Action Plan for Polio, the National Strategic Plan Comprehensive multi-year plan(cMYP) for immunization and the annual national work plan. Manage and ensure the quality of District micro plans for Polio eradication and EPI addressing bottlenecks equity, quality, and high coverage, leaving no one behind.
• Lead a strategy and action plan for monitoring, evaluation system, and data quality improvements at federal and state levels.
• Oversee planning and implementation of the vaccine preventable disease eradication, elimination and control activities to meet global, regional and national goals, including planning and implementing single and multi-antigen integrated supplementary immunization activities according to national strategies (e.g. Polio, measles/rubella, MNTetc.).
• Maintain preparedness for early detection and response to outbreaks of polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases, and coordinate outbreak response with government and key stakeholders. Establish a system to monitor polio eradication and measles elimination indicators. Improve and sustain quality of acute flaccid paralysis and environmental surveillance for poliovirus as an essential function to achieve and maintain polio-free status. Implement Measles & Rubella case-

Required Qualifications

Education

Essential

• Medical degree with post graduate degree in Public Health and/or Epidemiology

Desirable

• Higher Diploma in Epidemiology/Communicable Diseases (Doctorate Degree, DrPH).

Experience
Essential

• At least 10 years of extensive and practical experience in immunization programmes and vaccine preventable disease control or polio eradication at senior management position at national and international levels with focus on policy, planning and strategic actions for improving immunization and surveillance programme performance in large/complex countries/countries with active/protracted humanitarian crisis.

Desirable

• Experience in control of communicable diseases in general and surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases.
• Experience with resource mobilization and policy development.
• Experience of working in developing countries with low performing immunization programmes.
• Experience with measles elimination and polio eradication initiative.

Skills

• Proven track record of exhibition of competencies essential to lead a large team and to produce results.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of principles, practices, methodology and techniques of immunization, disease eradication, epidemiology, disease prevention and control of communicable diseases.
• Excellent knowledge in analyzing vaccine preventable diseases surveillance and immunization data, synthesizing information, and presenting clear and concise conclusions and recommendations for decision making.
• Demonstrated capacity in developing strategies and plans related to immunization and disease eradication programmes.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work constructively with people of different cultural and educational backgrounds