Neonatologists/Paediatrician at Jhpiego - John Hopkins University

Overview

• Maternal and Perinatal Mortality are Obstetric and neonatal tragedies worldwide. Of the global Maternal Mortality occurrences, the vast majority occur in low-resource settings and Nigeria accounts for nearly 20% of the global death. The lifetime risk of dying in Nigeria is 1 in 22 during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum period compared to 1 in 4,900 in most developed countries. The causes of maternal mortality include Pre-eclampsia /Eclampsia (PEE), obstructed labor, postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal sepsis and abortion complications.
• These causes are treatable and preventable when labour is supervised by Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs). Perinatal morbidity and mortality are closely related to events during pregnancy and labor. The high rate in Nigeria is a result of poor maternal health, sub-optimal care during pregnancy and childbirth, and lack of newborn care. The major causes of newborn deaths are birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis and prematurity. Universal access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) services is one of the strategies that can reduce these deaths and sufferings along with the ten core signal functions of the services.  
• Improving access to quality comprehensive emergency obstetrics and newborn care is critical to reducing these preventable maternal and newborn deaths and is a top priority of the Government of Nigeria. Therefore, as part of the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOHSW) to ensure that there are   well equipped CEmONC facilities throughout the country to provide quality healthcare services, a nationwide CEmONC health facility assessment was conducted. to identified existing gaps. As part of the efforts to bridge the identified gaps in healthcare workers competencies, Jhpiego, in collaboration with Kebbi, Kano and Katsina State Governments, through funding from USG in Nigeria, provide technical assistance to GoN to bridge the capacities of doctors, nurses, midwives, anaesthetic nurses, laboratory scientists/assistants in selected health facilities in 3 states.

Purpose of the CEmONC Health Facility Assessment

• This intervention aims to bridge existing gaps in the identified competencies of healthcare workers to provide quality CEmONC services during the recently concluded CEmONC health facility assessment in at least one CEmONC public facility per LGA in the selected states to improve quality services for women during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and postnatal period.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives include to build the capacity of healthcare workers to provide quality:

• Essential newborn care for all newborns.
• Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care for small and stable newborn.
• Comprehensive newborn care for small and sick newborn.
• Build capacity to implement MPCDSR/QoC processes and strengthen the data collection, collation, reporting, analysis and development of action plans to improve quality of maternal and newborn health services.
• Build capacity to improve two-way referral system in the state.

Responsibilities

• Each consultant will participate in a one day skills standardization workshop to be organize by Jhpiego.
• Conduct an on-site capacity building of an average of 8 healthcare care workers, which would include doctors, nurses and midwives.
• Conduct follow up mentoring of the trained healthcare workers to strengthen their confidence and competence in using the newly acquired knowledge and skills.
• Conduct pre- and post-test assessment for each of the modules of the training package.
• Compile and submit a comprehensive report of the training within 5 working days after completion of the training.
• Participate in a one day post-training debrief meeting with key stakeholders in the state.

Deliverables:

• Detailed and analysed pre- and post- training scores for each of the trainee for each module of the training package.
• Detail report of the training to be submitted within 5 working days of completion of the training.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree in Paediatrics/Neonatology
• Degree: Fellowship in Paediatrics from recognized postgraduate medical training institutions
• Years of Experience: 5 years post-fellowship
• Language: English language. Working knowledge of Hausa language will be an added advantage
• Travel: Ability to travel _70%, particularly to Facilities in the work location.
• Evidence of having up-to-date annual practicing license with Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
• Evidence of strong coaching, mentoring and facilitation skills.
• Evidence of strong analytical and communication skills.