Short Term Consultant (AMR Coordinator, WHO Health Emergencies Programme)

1.0          BACKGROUND

Dengue: In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), dengue is endemic in most areas of the country. Since 1985, dengue has been recognized among other diseases as a major national public health problem as dengue cases are reported from most provinces of the country every year. In 2013, there was a significant dengue epidemic with suspected 44,250 cases reported, including 95 deaths. In 2018 there were 11,067 suspected cases reported, including 14 deaths, and in 2019 the dengue cases are at significantly high levels and are mirroring the trends that were last experienced in Lao during the large outbreak in 2013.

WHO is working closely with MOH to:

1. Enhance surveillance (both human and vector surveillance) such that:

1.1  Dengue cases are reported every week from all health facilities to National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE);

1.2  Laboratory Dengue surveillance is carried out at sentinel sites in 5 provinces by NCLE.  NCLE also coordinated lab surveillance with the Pasteur Institute and Mahosot Welcome Trust, reports lab results to MoH and relevant stakeholders weekly; and

1.3  Vector surveillance data from selected sites are reported very month to centre for Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (CMPE);

2.0  Support Community based vector control: Community-based mosquito control though weekly cleans-up breeding site campaigns are key interventions. Some innovative approaches, using students Vientiane Capital, guppy fish distribution for larvae control in Vientiane Capital, Savannakhet provinces;

3.0  Improve Clinical management (CM): MoH sets up and activate Clinical Working Group (CWG) for Dengue clinical management to provide technical support to all provincial and district hospitals.

Many interventions and activities have previously been conducted to control and prevent dengue in Lao PDR, but unfortunately MOH does has not updated their national vector surveillance and response strategies, or standard operating procedures, on integrated vector management since 2013. The current surveillance and control strategies are not being implemented effectively or with quality control, are not standardised, are not reported consistently, are not used to generate data that is useful for decision making and are not aligned to the most recent WHO regional recommendations and best practise. An example is that extensive regular larval surveillance with calculation of larval indices has not proven to be practical or useful for preventing outbreaks in many settings, and so this practise needs to be revised in Lao. As part of the review and revision process the consultant should additionally consider the local health system capacities and constraints

2.0  PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The purpose of this consultancy is to assist Lao Democratic Republic in responding to the ongoing dengue outbreak and supporting such an effort through revising their national dengue vector surveillance and control strategy and policy documents and to roll out a  training program based on the revisions and aimed at optimizing outbreak response capacities.

3.0  DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

The consultant will report to, and be guided by, the WHO Country Office. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Lao PDR, the WHO Representative, the WHO Health Emergency Programme and Health System Development teams, the consultant will conduct activities described below and submit regular reports for each activity.

4.0  METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

Output 1: As per the recommendations in the National Dengue Action Plan, review the national vector control intervention policies and protocols (particularly outbreak response, surveillance reporting, source reduction, chemical application, community awareness) and revise them to ensure that they are aligned with current regional best practice, in terms of sustainable, effective and integrated vector management approaches;

                    Deliverable 1.1: Conduct a rapid assessment of current vector surveillance and response and suggest changes to improve delivery of the vector management  activities during the current outbreak.

                    Deliverable 1.2: Facilitate technical working group meeting with national (CMPE) and provincial (Vientiane Capital) counterparts, as well as key stakeholders, to review, discuss and come to consensus on priority activities and required changes to the current national Aedes vector management strategies.

                    Deliverable 1.3: Based on results from the TWG, support CMPE to revise and finalise  the national guidelines and standard operating procedures on Aedes vector surveillance and response strategies during both routine and arbovirial outbreak situations. This work should specifically target the revision of Aedes surveillance  practises away from collection of ad hoc larval surveillance data by lower level and  untrained staff, and re-focus on applying more strategic and standardised adult surveillance by higher level staff as a monitoring and evaluation tool to provide    information on effectiveness of interventions.  

Output 2: Support CMPE to develop and implement a capacity building program to orientate and train targeted provincial, district and health centre staff in high burden areas on applying the revised vector management protocols;

Deliverable 2.1: Based on the updated Aedes vector surveillance and control                          strategies and SOPs, support CMPE to develop a training curriculum and training  materials that target the expected areas of work for both provincial and district level focal points as well as health centre staff and communities

Deliverable 2.2: Help CMPE deliver and facilitate the training workshops in high                     priority and high burden dengue areas;

Output 3: Evaluate the vector surveillance data management process, including: field collection forms, data reporting flows, data analysis and reporting protocols, and then provide recommendations on aligning the forms and processes with the revised Aedes surveillance recommendations.;

                    Deliverable 3.1: During the technical working group meeting with national (CMPE) and provincial (Vientiane Capital) counterparts, as well as key stakeholders review discuss and come to consensus on how to manage the data and information being collected from the               revised Aedes vector surveillance strategies.

                    Deliverable 3.2: Based on results from the TWG, support CMPE to revise and finalise their vector surveillance and response data collection forms and develop an effective and sustainable data management system. This should also include reporting protocols for providing pertinent management information to the provincial and national CDC offices and   EOCs.

Output 4: Strengthen the capacity of CMPE and Provincial staff to output, analyse, interpret and report vector surveillance data;

                    Deliverable 4.1: Based on the new vector surveillance data management protocols and database, provide training to national and provincial focal points on how to routinely analyse, interpret and report vector surveillance and response information, during both routine and outbreak situations.

1. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

    

EDUCATION

Essential:            Minimum degree in medical science, science or public health from a recognised tertiary institution. Post graduate qualifications in entomology would be high regarded.

Desirable:

EXPERIENCE

Essential:            The candidate should have at least 10 years’ experience working as a medical  entomologist working in the field of public health or vector borne disease control, with extensive programme management, operational planning and implementation experience.

Desirable:

TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

Experience in facilitating and coordinating high level strategic public health forums and meetings at national and international levels. Strong experience in writing national strategic policies and guidelines related to vector borne disease control and public health.

LANGUAGES

High level of ability in spoken and written English.

COMPETENCIES

• Technical expertise
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Planned timelines: 

          Start date:           8 July 2019

          End date:             4 Oct 2019

Place of Assignment:  Lao PDR – 65 days, mostly in the capital Vientiane but including some work at provincial level.

Travel:

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil  visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV {for individual contractors} or Company Profile {for institutional applications} and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by 25 June 2019. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No. WPRO/2019-06/LAO_WHE/TN91938/mom as subject to all submission.  Only successful candidates will be contacted.