Technical Specialist, Care and Treatment at Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (Caritas Nigeria)

Summary of Role:

• Responsible for supporting comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment activities in assigned state with a multidisciplinary team. In collaboration with Caritas Nigeria Technical Teams and facility based teams, the incumbent will provide HIV prevention, care and treatment services to patients through technical support to facility based service providers.
• The objective of this position is to enhance service delivery and to strengthen the leadership and the capacity of the supported facilities in the coordination and delivery of quality HIV prevention, care and treatment services.

Description of Roles & Responsibilities:

• Build the capacity of facility-based clinicians through hands-on coaching, supportive supervision, and mentorship across program areas in HIV prevention, care and treatment.
• Provide technical input in the development of an integrated program work plan and contribute towards ensuring the achievement of program deliverables.
• Scale up and monitor continuous quality improvement efforts for maintaining the quality and standards of care for HIV positive patients.
• Ensure facility level conformance to the various National guidelines for HIV management by ensuring on-site availability of hard copy national guidelines, SOP’s and job aides and familiarizing service providers with the contents.
• Carry out facility-based needs assessments and proffer technical advice in line with project goals and priorities as regards quality patient care and program quality.  
• Maintain current knowledge of HIV/AIDS patient’s standard of care at facility level through organization of regular didactic sessions, mortality reviews, case reviews and presentations.
• Follow up on implementation, monitoring and evaluation of quality improvement strategies identified by program area leads, training needs and participation in facility-based multidisciplinary meetings.
• Direct management of complicated HIV cases (such as 2nd line and salvage therapy patients, TB/HIV and other OI’s and pediatric cases) at site level.
• Provide supervision to satellite facilities (spokes) as well as TB and PMTCT sites in catchment areas.
• Ensure monthly reporting of all activities carried out within subregion.
• Represent Caritas Nigeria at state and national TWG meetings and other related activities as designated.
• Participate in all desk time-related activities including making presentations, implementation science and other research activities, abstract writing and other professional developmental endeavors.
• Ensure achievement of program targets for assigned subregion or health facilities.
• Follow-up of all newly identified positives with a view to ensuring 100% linkage to treatment.
• Support Clinical Officers and/or Associates in the coordination of all ART clinic-related activities in assigned health facilities.   
• Support Clinical Officers and/or Associates and Facility Level Physicians in the provision of   clinical assessment and monitoring of patients on ART based on standard guidelines with an emphasis on initial clinical evaluation, treatment preparation, and same-day ART initiation, in addition to the prompt diagnosis of therapeutic failure using virological, immunological and/or clinical parameters as may be applicable. 
• Provide guidance to facility-level focal persons in monitoring adherence to therapy and prompt identification and management of therapeutic toxicities.
• Ensure all patients on ART receive timely viral load tests and documented evidence results used for clinical decisions.
• Ensure all virally unsuppressed patients receive quality and complete Enhanced Adherence Counselling and timely repeat viral load, ensure functional switch committees and appropriate and timely switch for confirmed cases of treatment failure. 
• Support Clinical Officers and/or Associates and facility Level Physician in the Identification, diagnosis and management of opportunistic infection.
• Ensure regular nutritional assessment of the positive patient (adult & pediatric) with a view to instituting appropriate interventions.
• Provide guidance to Facility Level Physicians and Clinical Associates in the diagnosis and management of pediatric HIV/AIDS using laboratory, clinical and nutritional parameters to ensure early and prompt ART initiation.
• Monitoring and follow-up of retro-exposed infants by ensuring post-exposure prophylaxis, early infant diagnosis with DBS, and Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis.
• Ensure prompt initiation of Positive Pregnant women on ART, all current pregnant positive women receive timely documented viral load and results used for clinical decisions for such women.
• Management of TB/HIV co-infection with strict adherence to ISTC guidelines and ensuring CPT for life.
• Use of Continuous Quality Improvement Processes for Improved Program Performance using a scientifically proven method such as a small test of change to increase the quality of service deliveries.
• Strengthen TB /HIV clinic integration.
• Co-ordination of activities around TB infection control and prevention
• Monitoring of implementation of TB infection control plan.
• Ensure functional and coordinated Differentiated Model of Care.
• Achieve 100% regimen optimization with the use of DTG and age & gender appropriate regimen
• Weekly reporting of all activities undertaken to immediate supervisor.
• Prompt flagging of all issues and impediments to target achievement in assigned health facility or subregion.
• Involvement in data quality assurance and ensuring complete and consistent EMR updates.
• Overall oversight of all ART-related activities in the assigned facility or subregion.
• Carry out other activities as assigned from time to time.   

Desired Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

• A degree in Medicine plus a postgraduate degree in public health is required.
• At least 5 years’ post NYSC experience
• At least 4 years’ clinical experience in HIV prevention, care and treatment
• Ability to lead teams and promote cross learning
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and make reasoned judgments in a timely fashion. Committing to a course of action without undue delay or prevarication
• Experience of dealing with difficult and sensitive situations in a professional manner.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Ability and willingness to travel when and if required