View all jobs
WHO-IPC Specialist-P4-Port Sudan, Sudan
Port Sudan, SudanPosition Title: IPC Specialist
Receiving Agency: WHO
P Level: P4
Location: Port Sudan, Sudan
Duration: 3 months (until March 31st, 2025) with possible extension
Language: English
Background and Justification
Purpose of the Position
The conflict in Sudan continues to escalate, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the country compounded by disease outbreaks like cholera, dengue, among others. In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS), at the country level, the incumbent will provide leadership, technical support and guidance to the Ministry of Health and partners on strategic, organizational and operational aspects of a comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) response and recovery activities to the public health effects of emergencies and disasters including disease outbreaks at the country level. S/he will manage IPC activities, provide technical guidance to ensure alignment with WHO IPC standard precautions and transmission-based precautions applicable to the current threat(s). The incumbent will provide monitoring and evaluation support for WHO IPC programme activities throughout the full cycle of incident management.
Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objective
The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, be operationally ready for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.
Organizational Context
Supervised by the Incident Manager, and under the overall guidance of the Deputy WHO Country Representative and Head of the WHO Country office and working closely with counterparts at the respective regional office and HQ, the incumbent will act as the incident management’s technical lead for IPC. S/he will manage the IPC component of the incident management system, assessment, support the revision and update of the IPC measures and practices, and provide technical guidance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and partners. S/he will establish and maintain good collaboration with partners, provide supportive supervision and oversight of response activities for WHO deployed IPC specialist(s), liaise with other units/teams within the country office and across the organization as well as partners to facilitate the development of a detailed work plan and budget for WHO operations.
The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the approved activities and to ensure alignment of purpose between headquarters and the regional office on matters related to IPC. S/he will also be responsible for reporting, performance assessment and evaluation of the planned activities, for monitoring the availability and flow of financial resources and ensure proper communication with partners and as appropriate.
Summary of Assigned Duties:
During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical needs of the Programme.
1. Establish or reinforce an emergencies IPC working group or task force led by national or sub-national MoH authorities with the involvement of implementing partners. Ensure a consistent and evidence-based IPC strategy is adopted by all response personnel. Through the IPC working group or task force, the incumbent will:
• ensure mapping of existing and emerging health threats in a national risk profile relevant to emergent interventions needed from IPC,
• identify supporting partner expertise and coverage areas,
• provide strategic direction and technical recommendations to partners and key players to achieve improvement actions and monitor implementation.
2. In coordination with national level IPC emergency response representative or national IPC focal point, develop and support implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) standard operating procedures and an action plan contextual to the situation of the incident and known or anticipated infectious risks to health workers, patients, and visitors.
• Where possible, health care-associated infection surveillance activities relevant to the incident response should be implemented in close collaboration with the Early Warning and Surveillance pillar to identify cases and facilities for priority intervention support.
3. Additional actions needed to respond to severe and emergent disease-specific threats and emergent situations should be designed and implemented with the support of WHO IPC guidelines (where applicable), technical guidance, and the support of IPC teams at WHO regional offices and headquarters.
4. Coordinate and/or perform healthcare facility and/or treatment unit assessments of IPC measures in the affected areas and advise on actions, systems, and associated material, infrastructural, and human resources needed to enable appropriate implementation of standard precautions and transmission-based precautions.
5. Provide practical and actionable technical guidance (e.g. standard operating procedures) to the national IPC programme and IPC task force (if existing) on readiness and response to outbreaks during health emergencies; ensuring that MoH, implementing partners, and the WHO incident management team are sensitized and ready to respond to known/ongoing and potential threats of outbreaks occurring in health care facilities.
6. Assess training needs, develop training strategy and materials, compliance assessments, and evaluations, and conduct IPC training and supportive supervision for staff and surge personnel at district hospitals and health facilities with priority to implementing standard precautions and transmission-based precautions applicable to the threat of the incident.
7. Monitor, evaluate and report to MOH/WHO incident management team on findings, and activities, and advise on effective and feasible IPC actions and associated resource needs in areas affected by the incident. Establish technical link with IPC counterparts at WHO regional offices and ensure regular sharing of activities.
8. In collaboration with procurement and logistic team advise on IPC supplies and infrastructure needs identified as gaps (e.g. isolation areas, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, etc.). When actioned, ensure receipt and appropriate use of supplies and space enabled for health facilities.
9. Support development of transition to recovery plan including links to programmatic IPC core components and minimum requirements. Develop strategic and sustainable focus areas for the MoH and WCO to ensure any improvements to IPC systems will persist beyond the current incident.
10. Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor.
Recruitment Profile Competencies:
1. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
2. Moving forward in a changing environment
3. Ensuring the effective use of resources
4. Teamwork
5. Communication
Functional Knowledge and Skills
Describe the essential knowledge and the skills specific to the position
• Demonstrated knowledge of WHO’s core competencies for infection prevention and control professionals at senior level.
• Proven knowledge and skills in infection prevention and control during public health emergencies, with experience performing IPC risk assessments and outbreak investigations in health-care settings during acute and protracted emergencies.
• Familiarity with WHO Framework and toolkit for infection prevention and control in outbreak preparedness, readiness, and response and WHO minimum requirements and core components of infection prevention and control programmes at national and health care facility levels.
• Ability to perform, explain, train, and supervise practical infection prevention and control procedures relevant to standard and transmission-based precautions according to WHO standards (e.g. 5 moments for hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, medical device reprocessing, patient placement and bed flow, use of personal protective equipment).
• Strong organizational and communication skills including ability to negotiate with national and international authorities and partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with colleagues at national and international levels.
• Strong ability to execute and manage national health programme.
Education Qualifications
Essential
Advanced University degree (Master’s level or above) in nursing, medicine, microbiology, epidemiology, or public health from an accredited/recognized institute, with specialty training (certificate or diploma) in the area of IPC.
Desirable
Master’s of Public Health or related field or
Complementary studies in Infection prevention and control, environmental health.
Experience
Essential
At least seven years of related experience in the field of IPC, at the national and international levels, in managing programmes to improve quality and safety of health services. Some experience with outbreaks and health emergencies in developing countries. Experience working with multiple partners in implementing IPC measures in low resource settings.
Desirable
• Experience and expertise performing infection prevention and control in the context of the disease/threat of the current incident is strongly desirable.
• Experience in WHO with an understanding of its mandate, goals and procedures an advantage, or experience in the UN system, health cluster partners or recognized humanitarian organizations.
• Experience with evaluation of national IPC programmes in developing countries.
Use of Language Skills
Excellent knowledge of English or Arabic. Working knowledge of another WHO official language would be an asset.
Other Skills (e.g. IT)
Good computer skills in Microsoft Office, SPSS etc.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.
Receiving Agency: WHO
P Level: P4
Location: Port Sudan, Sudan
Duration: 3 months (until March 31st, 2025) with possible extension
Language: English
Background and Justification
Purpose of the Position
The conflict in Sudan continues to escalate, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the country compounded by disease outbreaks like cholera, dengue, among others. In the context of the WHO Health Emergencies Incident Management System (IMS), at the country level, the incumbent will provide leadership, technical support and guidance to the Ministry of Health and partners on strategic, organizational and operational aspects of a comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) response and recovery activities to the public health effects of emergencies and disasters including disease outbreaks at the country level. S/he will manage IPC activities, provide technical guidance to ensure alignment with WHO IPC standard precautions and transmission-based precautions applicable to the current threat(s). The incumbent will provide monitoring and evaluation support for WHO IPC programme activities throughout the full cycle of incident management.
Objectives of the Programme and of the immediate Strategic Objective
The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, be operationally ready for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.
Organizational Context
Supervised by the Incident Manager, and under the overall guidance of the Deputy WHO Country Representative and Head of the WHO Country office and working closely with counterparts at the respective regional office and HQ, the incumbent will act as the incident management’s technical lead for IPC. S/he will manage the IPC component of the incident management system, assessment, support the revision and update of the IPC measures and practices, and provide technical guidance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and partners. S/he will establish and maintain good collaboration with partners, provide supportive supervision and oversight of response activities for WHO deployed IPC specialist(s), liaise with other units/teams within the country office and across the organization as well as partners to facilitate the development of a detailed work plan and budget for WHO operations.
The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the approved activities and to ensure alignment of purpose between headquarters and the regional office on matters related to IPC. S/he will also be responsible for reporting, performance assessment and evaluation of the planned activities, for monitoring the availability and flow of financial resources and ensure proper communication with partners and as appropriate.
Summary of Assigned Duties:
During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical needs of the Programme.
1. Establish or reinforce an emergencies IPC working group or task force led by national or sub-national MoH authorities with the involvement of implementing partners. Ensure a consistent and evidence-based IPC strategy is adopted by all response personnel. Through the IPC working group or task force, the incumbent will:
• ensure mapping of existing and emerging health threats in a national risk profile relevant to emergent interventions needed from IPC,
• identify supporting partner expertise and coverage areas,
• provide strategic direction and technical recommendations to partners and key players to achieve improvement actions and monitor implementation.
2. In coordination with national level IPC emergency response representative or national IPC focal point, develop and support implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) standard operating procedures and an action plan contextual to the situation of the incident and known or anticipated infectious risks to health workers, patients, and visitors.
• Where possible, health care-associated infection surveillance activities relevant to the incident response should be implemented in close collaboration with the Early Warning and Surveillance pillar to identify cases and facilities for priority intervention support.
3. Additional actions needed to respond to severe and emergent disease-specific threats and emergent situations should be designed and implemented with the support of WHO IPC guidelines (where applicable), technical guidance, and the support of IPC teams at WHO regional offices and headquarters.
4. Coordinate and/or perform healthcare facility and/or treatment unit assessments of IPC measures in the affected areas and advise on actions, systems, and associated material, infrastructural, and human resources needed to enable appropriate implementation of standard precautions and transmission-based precautions.
5. Provide practical and actionable technical guidance (e.g. standard operating procedures) to the national IPC programme and IPC task force (if existing) on readiness and response to outbreaks during health emergencies; ensuring that MoH, implementing partners, and the WHO incident management team are sensitized and ready to respond to known/ongoing and potential threats of outbreaks occurring in health care facilities.
6. Assess training needs, develop training strategy and materials, compliance assessments, and evaluations, and conduct IPC training and supportive supervision for staff and surge personnel at district hospitals and health facilities with priority to implementing standard precautions and transmission-based precautions applicable to the threat of the incident.
7. Monitor, evaluate and report to MOH/WHO incident management team on findings, and activities, and advise on effective and feasible IPC actions and associated resource needs in areas affected by the incident. Establish technical link with IPC counterparts at WHO regional offices and ensure regular sharing of activities.
8. In collaboration with procurement and logistic team advise on IPC supplies and infrastructure needs identified as gaps (e.g. isolation areas, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, etc.). When actioned, ensure receipt and appropriate use of supplies and space enabled for health facilities.
9. Support development of transition to recovery plan including links to programmatic IPC core components and minimum requirements. Develop strategic and sustainable focus areas for the MoH and WCO to ensure any improvements to IPC systems will persist beyond the current incident.
10. Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor.
Recruitment Profile Competencies:
1. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
2. Moving forward in a changing environment
3. Ensuring the effective use of resources
4. Teamwork
5. Communication
Functional Knowledge and Skills
Describe the essential knowledge and the skills specific to the position
• Demonstrated knowledge of WHO’s core competencies for infection prevention and control professionals at senior level.
• Proven knowledge and skills in infection prevention and control during public health emergencies, with experience performing IPC risk assessments and outbreak investigations in health-care settings during acute and protracted emergencies.
• Familiarity with WHO Framework and toolkit for infection prevention and control in outbreak preparedness, readiness, and response and WHO minimum requirements and core components of infection prevention and control programmes at national and health care facility levels.
• Ability to perform, explain, train, and supervise practical infection prevention and control procedures relevant to standard and transmission-based precautions according to WHO standards (e.g. 5 moments for hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, medical device reprocessing, patient placement and bed flow, use of personal protective equipment).
• Strong organizational and communication skills including ability to negotiate with national and international authorities and partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with colleagues at national and international levels.
• Strong ability to execute and manage national health programme.
Education Qualifications
Essential
Advanced University degree (Master’s level or above) in nursing, medicine, microbiology, epidemiology, or public health from an accredited/recognized institute, with specialty training (certificate or diploma) in the area of IPC.
Desirable
Master’s of Public Health or related field or
Complementary studies in Infection prevention and control, environmental health.
Experience
Essential
At least seven years of related experience in the field of IPC, at the national and international levels, in managing programmes to improve quality and safety of health services. Some experience with outbreaks and health emergencies in developing countries. Experience working with multiple partners in implementing IPC measures in low resource settings.
Desirable
• Experience and expertise performing infection prevention and control in the context of the disease/threat of the current incident is strongly desirable.
• Experience in WHO with an understanding of its mandate, goals and procedures an advantage, or experience in the UN system, health cluster partners or recognized humanitarian organizations.
• Experience with evaluation of national IPC programmes in developing countries.
Use of Language Skills
Excellent knowledge of English or Arabic. Working knowledge of another WHO official language would be an asset.
Other Skills (e.g. IT)
Good computer skills in Microsoft Office, SPSS etc.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.