Job Title: Project Officer HIV Care & Treatment (5 Job Opportunities)
Organisation: Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC)
Duty Station: Rwenzori, West Nile, Hoima, Mityana, Masaka, Uganda
Reports to: Regional Team Lead
About US:
The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), the legal body of Catholic Bishops of Uganda with funding from Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing the Comprehensive HIV Epidemic Control project through FBO/PNFP health facilities in the seven CDC supported regions within Uganda. The project supports PNFP facilities in Masaka, Kampala, Mubende, Soroti, Hoima, West Nile and Rwenzori regions. Internally the project is known and shortened as FLASH– Faith Led Action to Sustain HIV Epidemic Control. The five-year project (Oct 2020- Sept 2025) is in its 3rd year of implementation.
Job Summary: The Project Officer HIV Care & Treatment builds site capacity to offer quality HIV treatment services, ART initiation, support ART regimen optimization, retention in care, viral suppression and regimen switching as per national guidelines, implementation of differentiated service models, support sites to routinely conduct mortality audits, and patient chart reviews to identify issues that hamper adherence. S/he supports tracking, documenting and laying strategies to minimize interruption in treatment and assure continuity of treatment within the region.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Technical and Strategic Leadership
- Serves as the technical specialist for UEC FLASH project in all aspects of clinical care and treatment for HIV/AIDS with emphasis on antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation, continuity of treatment (CoT), multi-month dispensing (MMD), regimen optimization, differentiated service delivery (DSDM), adherence and viral load coverage (VLC) and viral load suppression (VLS) at regional and facility levels.
- In liaison with Senior Technical Advisor – Care & Treatment, provides expert-level guidance to health facility clinical and counseling teams in HIV/AIDS care and treatment
- Keeps current on all new developments in HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support in order to advise and/or lead health facilities on priorities and implementation approaches.
- Convenes technical meetings to review progress and discuss improvement initiatives at regional level.
- Supports the review of facility budgets and workplans to ensure they are responsive to the requirements to meet set targets and quality standards.
- Any other duty that may be assigned from time to time.
Capacity Building
- Conducts training, mentorship and technical support supervision regularly to health facility staff on aspects of HIV care and treatment at regional level for achievement of targets and quality standards.
- With support from Senior Technical Advisor Care & Treatment, develops Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guides for facility teams to refer to. The SOPs include, but are not limited to, CoT, Viral Load Coverage (VLC) and Viral Load Suppression (VLS), ART regimen optimization for children, adolescents and adults, Advanced HIV Disease Management (AHDM)
- Conducts Continuous Medical Education (CME) sessions physically and virtually on key sub technical areas to build capacity of health facility staff
Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Improvement in HIV Care and Treatment
- Working with the Strategic Information (SI) team, prepares and responds to ad-hoc reports and data calls on different indicators under care and treatment.
- Supports recording and reporting of data in HIV care and treatment. Participates in periodic data quality assessments (DQAs) and ensures that reported data is accurate, complete and timely as a good representation of the HIV care and treatment indicators.
- Supports the institution of data-driven CQI projects in sub technical areas that need improvement in supported health facilities at regional level
- Foster a learning environment that facilitates cross learning and exchange of best practices, recommended strategies, and innovative interventions to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving services through UEC supported facilities.
- Support active participation of clinical teams in QI collaboratives
- Support facility-level and UEC-level periodic data review meetings with follow-up of agreed action plans for improvement
- Conducts facility-level assessments using the SIMS (Site Improvement Monitoring System) tool and supports facility teams to address identified gaps.
Representation, Collaboration and Teamwork
- Works closely with District Health Management Teams to deliver quality HIV care and treatment services.
- Works with the Supply Chain and Laboratory advisors to ensure uninterrupted supplies of logistics for supported health facilities
- Works closely with other partners including the regional comprehensive mechanisms to optimize opportunities for cross sectoral integration and leveraging of resources across the different program components to guarantee client-centered services are prioritized and implemented across all supported health facilities
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a Diploma in Clinical Medicine; a degree in Public Health or a related field is an added advantage.
- Knowledge in training, mentorship and technically sound
- Strategic decision making and leadership
- Teamwork, networking and good interpersonal skills
- Experience working with HIV, TB or related public health projects for three years is an added advantage
How to Apply:
All eligible and interested candidates should apply and attach their signed CVs, copies of certificates, degrees, and testimonials. Suitable candidates residing in highlighted regions are encouraged to apply. Applications indicating duty station applied for and job reference number should be directed to the address below;
The Secretary General
Uganda Catholic Secretariat
Plot 672, Hanlon Road, Nsambya Hill
P.O. Box 2886
Kampala. Uganda
Deadline: 21st October 2022