Sierra Leone: Medical Officer - Sierra Leone

Solthis is an international medical NGO which contributes to the strengthening of health systems to improve the access to quality care in countries with limited resources and/or with the vulnerable populations.

Since 2011, Solthis has been providing technical support in Sierra Leone at both health facility level and central level to improve HIV care.
Starting in 2016, the Empower project aims to the reinforcement of the civil society for health right exercise, with 3 results:

1. the capacities of PLHIV is reinforced to exercise their right to health for quality of HIV care
2. the capacity of healthcare workers is reinforced to enable them to provide good-quality care
3. the national environment and institutional capacity are reinforced to ensure the sustainability of the project results

Under the supervision of Solthis Head of Mission, the Medical Officer will be assigned to provide capacity building to health care workers (HCW) involved in HIV medical care in order to improve their ability to care, treat and follow up HIV infected persons.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Support to national and / or district coordination bodies
   • Participate to the elaboration and updates of national HIV guidelines and recommendations
   • Give support to District Health Management Team (DHMT) : raising the awareness of local health authorities for the integration of HIV in their routine activities: trainings and on-site joint supervision
2. HIV Care Quality improvement (QI) & Capacity building of healthcare workers
   • Assess the needs, design an action plan to strengthen the capacity of the health workers and implement it with 3 main types of activities related to various topics of HIV care : counseling, testing, diagnosis, prophylaxis, care and treatment of HIV, OI management, TB/HIV co-infection, dispensing& adherence support, data management & analysis.
   • If needed, a specific focus will be made on Infection Prevention Control in the HIV clinic in the context post-Ebola outbreak
   • Support to health mediators - peer counsellors (PLHIV) for the support of patients and assistance of healthcare workers

2.1. Classroom trainings
• Assess the trainings needs of the different types of health workers
• Participate to the elaboration of course program for HCW on the topics detailed below
• Organize and conduct trainings
• Participate to the evaluation of training activities

2.2. Clinical mentoring and on site trainings
• Organize and conduct on sites trainings according to identified needs
• Provide onsite clinical mentoring to reinforce HCW skills & capacities

2.3. Lead the quality improvement process
• Organize & animate workshops on QI
• Include both health facilities management teams & DHMT in quality improvement & monitoring
• Provide onsite advices to improve organization of care and promote involvement of all stakeholders
• Support for the organization of care: drafting standard care procedures, ART dispensation over 3 months instead of only one for stable patients, re-organization of the patient flow, involvement of health mediators, re-organization of the system of consultations and file archiving (pharmacy)

1. Project Management & Reporting
   • Monitoring & evaluation
    Reference all the work done with national partners, activities, outputs & outcomes
    Participate to the elaboration of monthly and annual reports in close collaboration with Solthis Head of mission
   • Participate in Solthis annual programming session

2. Representation
   Attend coordination meetings relevant to country programs when dealing with medical aspect

3. Working Relationships with all members of the team, involved in the same project or others

4. Additional activities that could be developed
   • Suggest operational research issues and if needed implement and monitor them on the field.
   • Assist head of mission in fundraising and/or expanding/developing new program

Qualifications:
• Medical doctor with experience in HIV/AIDS
• Knowledge of public health and clinical research
• Experience in humanitarian emergencies context would be an added value
• Experience in resource-limited settings would be an added value
• Experience in training would be an added value
• Experience in project management
• Fluent English, French is an asset

Conditions:
• Location : Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Contract duration : one year
• Starting date : as soon as possible
• Salary: according to professional experience + package (medical and repatriation insurance, transport, accommodation, monthly living allowance 610€).

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, date of availibility and references to recrutement@solthis.org and mark Ref. “Medical Officer Sierra Leone”.

Solthis reserves the right to close any vacancy before the advertised deadline. Thank you for your understanding.