Programme Assistant to support National Immunization Programme

Call for Expressions of Interest and Proposal

Job Title: VN016 Programme Assistant to support National Immunization Programme

1. Background:

National Expanded Program on Immunization (NEPI) has been one of long-standing health programs in Viet Nam. With high routine coverages of vaccines through this program, Viet Nam has been achieved polio free, tetanus elimination, and other vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) under control. WHO has been provided support for immunization activities including routine immunization and campaign planning and implementation, technical guidelines developments, as well as VPDs surveillances as a back born to provide evidence for immunization program planning and implementation.

COVID-19 the pandemic has been suppressing essential health program over the world since 2020. While Viet Nam is well controlling COVID-19 with strong preventive measures, immunization activities had been affected by the COVID-19 especially in highly affected provinces due to repurpose the human resource to the pandemic response and the necessity of physical distancing measures. To maintain immunization activities as an essential health services including VPDs surveillances is critically important to detect any resurgence or epidemics and respond to such events especially of outbreak-prone VPDs such as measles during COVID-19. Further workload on NEPI since late 2020, as Viet Nam started the preparatory activities for COVID-19 vaccine introduction with target introduction through phased approach in Q1 2021. It is crucial to maintain or strengthen human resource in Immunization Program, both for successful COVID-19 vaccine introduction and maintaining routine immunization activities. VPDs surveillance implementation and its data management at national level requires high level knowledge and skills, to guide lower level EPI staff.

Therefore, WHO representative office of Viet Nam commences a SSA to provide support to National EPI office to well maintain immunization activities and to coordinate effective support by WHO in the year of 2021.

2. Work to be performed

• Technical support:
  
  • Coordinate between NEPI and regions, provinces, laboratories during implementation of Vaccine Preventable Diseases surveillance especially for measles-rubella
  • Provide technical support for end-user using surveillance database for measles-rubella including EPI and laboratory staff

• Administrative support:
  
  • Develop DFC proposals and communicate with WHO CO
  • Monitor progress of paperwork and implementation of proposals and DFC contracts
  • Work with relevant Dept of NIHE (Accountant, Planning Dept.) and PMU, Dept. of Health MOH to get approval for the above activities

The main methods to carry out the work

• Face-to-face communication with NEPI, regions, provinces, laboratories and relevant departments of NIHE and MOH as well as WHO
• Administrative and logistics arrangements of DFCs implementation
• Preparation and submissions of documents to NEPI/NIHE leadership and emails to the MOH and WHO

3. Specific requirements

a. Education

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in medicine or public health from a recognized university
• Desired: Master’s degree in public health

b. Experience

• Essential: 2 years of experience in vaccine preventable disease surveillances and immunization activity at central level, both technical and administrative work
• Desired: Experience working with the MOH and WHO

c. Skills

• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Well-developed data management and analysis capacity and familiarity with VPDs surveillance database especially with MRSRs, the Microsoft Office Package
• Excellent communications skills (both written and oral)
• Teamwork

d. Language:

• Essential: Proficiency in English in writing and speaking, and expert knowledge of Vietnamese

e. Competencies

• Producing results
• Communicating in a credible and effective way
• Fostering integration and teamwork

4. Place of assignment

Office of National Expanded Program on Immunization, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology

5. Medical clearance

The selected SSA holder will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

6. Budget

Please take note of the following when submitting application:

• The contractor will be responsible for paying taxes, if any.

Those who are interested can submit your most updated CV and application letter indicating post title and vacancy notice # by 20 April 2021 and should be addressed to:

Administrative Officer
World Health Organization
UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street,
Hanoi, Viet Nam

OR
[email protected]

For further information on this TOR, please contact:
[email protected]