Regional TB Technical Advisor

SUSTAINING TECHNICAL AND ANALYTIC RESOURCES

FELLOWSHIP TITLE: Regional TB Technical Advisor
HOST ORGANIZATION: National TB Program, Ministry of Health
LOCATION: Can Tho, Viet Nam
POSITION LEVEL: Mid-Career Technical Advisor
STAR-P1-074
TRAVEL: 10% estimated travel

STAR PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources (STAR) is a project of the Public Health Institute (PHI) supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health (GH) Bureau. Its purpose is twofold: (1) Through individual fellowships, STAR will help strengthen the capacity of diverse American and low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) health professionals at all levels to make innovative contributions to global health (GH); and (2) STAR will create ground-breaking opportunities for both US and LMIC GH academic institutions and other groups, including professional associations, to create systems for open-access knowledge sharing, resulting in effective partnerships. STAR’s individual and institutional participants are contributing to the development of self-sustaining systems and tools that will produce global citizens with the full spectrum of relevant health competencies. STAR is managed by the Public Health Institute and implemented in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH).

ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP

The STAR Fellowship is a two-year global health and learning opportunity with:

• Individualized, tailored support to enhance the fellow’s achievement personal and professional goals
• Personalized learning plans and access to learning resources (courses, conferences, mentoring) based on fellow’s learning style and preferences.
• Access to broad professional networks to enhance peer learning and knowledge sharing.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Background:

USAID is a leader in the global fight against tuberculosis (TB) and supports anti-TB efforts in high burden TB countries. The STAR Fellowship is a key component of the USAID Administrator's TB Accelerator initiative that aims to reach the UN General Assembly TB Declaration targets building the capacity and commitment of host governments to ensure self-reliance through evidence-based TB programs.

Introduction:

The TB Supervision Network Advisor (Advisor) shall provide state-of-the-art technical expertise to support the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) in implementing their National Strategic Plan (NSP) and National Action Plan to End TB. The Advisor will support the NTP, in particular, the Director of Can Tho TB and Lung hospital, in strengthening the diagnostic and treatment network in Mekong River Delta provinces, with the goal of improving TB and Drug Resistant TB (DR-TB) case finding, detection, and treatment.

Reporting structure:

The Advisor will work in close collaboration with the USAID/Vietnam and USAID/Washington TB Team and will receive technical direction from the Can Tho TB and Lung Hospital Director, who will serve as their Onsite Manager.

Essential Duties and Outcomes:

Improve TB diagnosis and treatment in Mekong Delta Areas through the provision of technical assistance:

• Provide technical support to the regional TB program related to the implementation of the National Strategic Plan, National Action Plan to end TB, and Global Fund grant activities, with an emphasis on strengthening the quality of diagnosis, notification, treatment, and reporting at the regional TB network level.
• Support regional TB leaders to coordinate supervision, monitoring and evaluation activities in Mekong Delta provinces.
• Strengthen provincial and district TB health staff capacity to TB detection and management services.
• Support further expansion and coordination of new TB diagnostic techniques, including GeneXpert MTB/RIF, digital chest X-ray, as well the use and sharing of data.
• Analysis and sharing lessons learnt related to newly introduced tools and approaches in the region; provide advice on the scale-up of potential interventions at regional and national levels.

Scale-up the MDR-TB program in Mekong Delta Provinces through support to the NTP:

• Participate in regular NTP PMDT activities, including meetings, surveys, assessments, and supportive supervision visits.
• Support regional TB leaders in the monitoring of PMDT activity implementation.
• Support and coordinate MDR-TB training, supervision, and monitoring visits to the region’s TB network.
• Provide TA to scale-up implementation of new and shorter MDR-TB regimens.
• In collaboration with NTP staff, update guidance materials, and monitoring and supervision tools, and participate in PMDT monitoring visits to treatment sites.
• Identify PMDT programmatic challenges in the region and coordinate appropriate TA from local and international partners.

Improve coordination of NTP activities with USAID Mission and partners in country:

• Provide regular updates on progress to USAID, including developing and submitting technical monthly progress report and bi-annual monitoring and evaluation reports to USAID staff.?
• Travel as required and to be determined by NTP and USAID.

Anticipated learning outcomes: * Required 10% time

• Demonstrate proficiency across the core global health competencies defined as development practice, cross cultural awareness, communication, capacity strengthening, ethics of public health, health equity, gender equality and global burden of disease that is necessary for persons practicing in global health.
• Apply TB knowledge to strengthen program.
• Apply and distinguish international standards within technical/content area to support programming.
• Cultivate leadership skills based on the STAR GH mentorship curriculum to effectively facilitate capacity building and knowledge sharing activities amongst staff and peers.
• Expand access to knowledge and resources through networking and collaborative practice within global health.

FELLOWSHIP REQUIREMENTS

Required:

• Minimum 7 years of relevant technical experience with a master's degree in health sciences or public health or relevant field, or a minimum 9 years of relevant technical experience with a bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant TB control experience, preferably at the provincial or regional level.
• Clear understanding of Vietnam’s TB network, TB policies, and regulations.
• Experience conducting trainings and capacity building.
• Experience working with the key TB program stakeholders, preferably regional stakeholders and international donors.
• Excellent computer skills, including knowledge of Windows, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Strong English skills required, including the ability to write sound technical reports and documents.
• Vietnamese citizenship required.

Additional skills (preferred)

• Experience in TB supervision or monitoring is desirable.
• Previous experience with USAID projects is an advantage.

TO APPLY:

If you are interested in this position, please send your CV and cover letter to [email protected].