Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 03 Aug 2015
Position: Test & Treat Pilot Project Implementer
Project: Feasibility, acceptability and outcomes of implementing community HIV testing and ARV treatment in rural areas of Yambio, South Sudan.
Duration of the project: 9-12 months, renewable (3 months for set-up, 6 for follow up of implementation).
Position start date: Anticipated for mid-August 2015
Summary of the Pilot Project
Community or Home base HIV testing and counseling (CBCT and HBCT) can help reduce HIV transmission if those who test positive have access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) [1] [2]. HBCT has already been implemented in several countries, including Zambia, Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa. Given the noted high testing uptake and acceptability [3], combined with improved survival associated with earlier ART initiation, HBCT is now a WHO recommended strategy [4]. Given the high dropout rate between testing and treatement intitation at referral clinics, however, programs utilizing a same-time test and treat strategy would likley improve uptake and further reduce HIV associated mortality, transmission and incidence.
With this pilot program we intend to carry out a same day, same place, test and treat strategy in a rural population and carefully monitor program acceptability, adherence and treatment outcomes.
Bringing HIV testing and treatment closer to the patient’s home, with simplified protocols and tools that allow us to obtain comparable treatment outcomes to facility based care, could be the most suitable strategy in areas with few human resources or centralized HIV services.
Objective of the position
The Pilot Project Implementer will be in charge of the preparation, implementation, follow-up and project monitoring activities. The position is hierarchically under the responsibility of the Field Coordinator and functionally under the study Principal Investigator (PI). He or she works in collaboration with members of the coordination team in the Juba, and supervises field teams dedicated to this activity.
- Helps prepare sites, documentation, planning, logistics and coordinates administrative matters
- Represents the organization and vies for project needs at local level and if requested at central level.
- Provides technical advice, manages teams and supervises the daily conduct of the Test and Treat activities, according to protocol
- Regularly provides updates and reports to coordination and PI
Main tasks and responsibilities
Preparation
- Drafts necessary agreements with collaborative partners
- Ensures necessary approval of project documents (health authorities, etc)
- Liases with local leaders in areas participating in the intervention.
- Helps develop standard operating procedures, forms and health promotion materials
- Ensures proper training and preparation of project staff
- Supervises HP activities carried out prior to the launch of activities
- Coordinate with logistics team to ensure logistical needs are met to carry out activities
- Ensures lab issues prepared (forms, consumables, cold chain, trainings, etc)
- Prepares patient physical files with necessary documentation: clinical data, lab data, adherence questionnaire, acceptance questionnaire.
- Supervision, Monitoring of daily activities
- Supervises daily activities of team; makes adjustments where necessary.
- Ensures inclusion process: meeting of inclusion criteria, informed consent process, counselling, and start-up of ART.
- Supervises and ensures per protocol laboratory procedures for blood sample management: extraction in the field, storage, shipment to national and international referral laboratories, quality control assurance.
- Supervises clinical management to ensure that the detection of adverse events and definition of clinical outcomes is strictly followed
- Supervise and train counsellors/CHW in charge of administering the adherence and acceptance questionnaire
- Responsible of data management: ensure data entry is timely and accurately entered in database; perform data checks and regularly back-up databases.
- Organize regular meetings with all actors involved in the study in Yambio including community leaders and patients groups
- Regularly inform coordination of activities, achievements, problems; send regular progress reports to the principal investigator and TESACO
- Perform data analysis together with the epidemiologist and PI in MSF HQ
- Serves as the key liaison between the study team, MSF Coordination, the Principal Investigator and other stakeholders: ensures fluid communication about activities.
Profile Requirements:
- Degree in Medicine or Nursing or epidemiology essential, post grade in epidemiology desirable (in case of medicine or nursing degree) (Other degrees to be considered depending on the experience)
- Experience in coordinating research studies desirable
- Experience in AIDS projects desirable
- Knowledge of ……. data system used in MSF projects (preferable)
- Fluent in English
How to apply:
To apply, all applicants should please send their CV and cover motivation letter under the reference “FIELD STUDY COORDINATOR” to:
recruitment-bcn@barcelona.msf.org
Closing date: Monday, August 3, 2015.
Replies will only be sent to short-listed candidates
Médecins Sans Frontieres, as a responsible employer, under article 38 of “Ley de Integración Social del Minusválido de 1982 (LISMI)” invite those persons with a recognised disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above mentioned position.