Research Assistant Interns CEM at The Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity (CIHEB)

Job Summary

Cohort event monitoring (CEM) is an intensive method of post-marketing surveillance for medicines’ safety. CEM aims to capture all adverse events that occur in a defined group of patients after starting treatment with a specific medicine during routine clinical practice. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), together with the National Vaccines and Immunization Program (NVIP) and with support from Africa Union Development Agency- New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity – Kenya (CIHEB-K), and the Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program are looking for research assistants (RAs) who will recruit, follow-up clients on specified days with concurrent data collection during the safety surveillance of COVID-19 vaccines study in the supported counties and specified facilities as shown in the annexed table 1 below.

Roles and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Specialist, the Research Assistants (RAs) will be responsible for;

• Coordinate the identification, recruitment, and follow-up of study participants.
• Seeking Informed consent from the study participants using the participant information and consent.
• Furnishing study participants with details on the enrolment process, vaccination, and follow-up (at specified follow-up days) for any AEFIs due to COVID-19 vaccination during the participants’ follow-up period.
• Participants’ data collection, quality control, and ensuring study data is well captured and entered into the relevant project data collection tools.
• Ensure availability of data collection tools at the study sites, maintain copies of data collection forms (ensuring accurate updating as needed), and support documentation for data management.
• Work with their specific Research Study Leads, County/Sub County, and project team to ensure accurate and complete study data is reported on time.
• Monitor performance, Identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns in study data collection and provide study reports relating to the implementation of the study protocol.
• Ensure field data collection and management procedures have set timelines and meet established deadlines.
• Ensure adherence to ethics for research, including obtaining informed consent from all participants and maintaining records.
• Any other duties that the Principal Investigator may assign

Experience and academic qualifications

1. At least two (2) years of relevant experience working in a health institution and/or participation in health research.
2. Strong quantitative analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
3. Experience in electronic data collection with a bias toward RedCap will be an added advantage
4. Diploma in public health or social science discipline (A degree in a health-related field will be an added advantage).

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Willingness and ability to work in one of the listed counties and facilities (proficiency in the local language of the county of choice is a MUST).
• Oral and written communication skills (proficiency in Swahili, English, and local language spoken in the county of choice).
• Networking and collaboration skills.
• Team player.
• Ability to work under minimum supervision.
• Training in COVID-19 vaccination will be an added advantage