County Surveillance Officers at World Health Organization

Purpose of position

Under the immediate supervision of the District Health Officer in the specific cluster, the incumbent shall implement activities towards strengthening Polio surveillance, other VPD surveillance and routine immunization in High Risk and poor performing Counties

Duration: Six months

Scope of work: The county surveillance officer will work under the overall supervision of the WHO IVD focal point and day to day guidance of the WHO District Health Officer for respective County and will perform the duties as below; 

1. Support County and Sub-County Health Management teams to strengthen and maintain a sensitive active surveillance system within the framework of IDSR with a special focus on polio eradication, and vaccine preventable diseases as follows:
   • • Support the SCDSCs and CDSC to review, rationalize and prioritize active surveillance sites for AFP using the standard template 
     • Conduct, in collaboration with CDSC, SCDSC, AFP focal persons, integrated active surveillance to 90% of priority sites including health facilities and community as per National guidelines and the global polio surveillance action plan 2022-2024
     • Strengthen the capacities of the county and sub county surveillance team and AFP surveillance network through conducting AFP surveillance orientation, sensitization or training of at least 90% personnel in the surveillance network including community health volunteers and informants in line with the global polio surveillance action plan 2022-2024
     • Ensure that AFP and VPD IEC materials are distributed and displayed in all health facilities and surveillance sites
     • Conduct retroactive case search for missed AFP cases in priority health facilities
     • Support all AFP case investigation, stool sample collection from case and contacts, validation, 60 day follow up, geocoding, and Zero-dose investigation, in line with WHO guidelines 
     • Support the environmental surveillance activities including sample collection, supervision and review of performance in Garissa, Mombasa and Nairobi counties
     • To regularly monitor & review performance of all sub-counties to determine whether AFP surveillance indicators are met in line with global polio surveillance action plan 2022-2024 and other VPDs target performance are achieved and discuss way forward
     • Collaborate with the local health entities and other national and international health partners including UN agencies and NGOs in strengthening polio eradication effort including in the Refugee camps for Turkana and Garissa counties
     • Undertake regular field supervision visits to assess and evaluate the implementation of surveillance activities, identify gaps and recommend corrective actions based on key performance indicators.
     • Coordinate and ensure all the expected data, reports and other information are transmitted to National level as per guidelines
     • Analyze IDSR data for unusual trends, data discrepancy and cases missed by VPD surveillance and institute corrective measures.
2. Support the sub county and county teams to prepare for the introduction and use of nOPV2
3. Support planning, implementation and monitoring of supplemental Immunization Activities
4. Support sub county and county teams to strengthen routine immunization through:
   • Capacity building for health workers on routine immunization
   • Support sub county teams to map high risk populations and identify ways to reach them with vaccines.
   • Support Routine Immunization focal points to conduct support supervision of RI providing facilities
   • Conduct and support the county and sub county team to analyse their data and identify areas of improvement
5. Support sub county and county teams to conduct Outbreak investigation and response to VPDs
6. Perform any other duties, as required by the WHO IVD focal point or WHO Cluster District Health officer. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Essential: First university degree in Medicine, Nursing, Environmental Health or other health related fields.
• Desirable: Relevant training in disease prevention, disease surveillance

Experience

• Essential: At least 3 years of relevant experience work experience in polio eradication activities including planning and implementation of AFP surveillance, Environmental surveillance, implementation of supplemental immunization activities, conducting monitoring of polio eradication activities at sub national or national level.
• Desirable: Experience working at national and sub national levels of the ministry of Health. Work experience with WHO or other UN agencies is an added advantage

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of disease surveillance and outbreak response particularly for polio and other vaccine preventable disease
• Proven ability to work with minimum supervision
• Proficiency in key computer applications. Computer abilities such as word processing, spread-sheets and analytical applications