Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illness Consultant at MSH

The Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit organization, uses proven approaches developed over 40 years to help leaders, health managers, and communities in developing nations build stronger health systems for greater health impact. We work to save lives by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

• Job Position: Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illness (iCCM) Consultant
• Ref No: R479
• Job Location: Abuja

Background

• The US President’s Malaria Initiative for States (PMI-S) project is a five-year USAID flagship malaria project managed by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) with consortium partners Think well, Banyan Global, and the Nigeria Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA).
• The project supports the Government of Nigeria through its agencies at the federal, state, local government areas (LGAs) and community levels to reduce under-five and maternal mortality by delivering quality services for the prevention and management of malaria and its complications. PMI-S Project is an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract issued by the United States Agency for International Development to MSH on June 29, 2018.
• The project is being implemented at the national level and in eight Nigerian states through Task Orders. Task Order (TO) 02 supports federal level activities; TO 03 supports activities in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi and Oyo states; while TO 04 supports activities in Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Zamfara states.
• The four main objectives of PMI-S are to: (i) Increase malaria test rates from 30% (2014 HMIS) to 85%, (ii) Provide appropriate malaria treatment according to the national treatment guidelines in at least 85% of parasitological confirmed malaria cases; (iii) Increase the number of pregnant women receiving three or more doses of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) through Directly Observed Therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine or any other World Health Organization-approved drugs at antenatal clinics or at the community level through community IPTp from the 2013 NDHS level of 5.8% to at least 80%; and (iv) Increase access to the appropriate treatment of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea by 50% over 2015 levels in selected local government authorities through the integrated community case management approach.

Consultancy Overview

• Nigeria adopted the integrated community case management (iCCM) strategy in 2012, aimed at expanding access to life-saving interventions to under-five children. The focus is to contribute to improving access to quality healthcare services to children under-five in the target communities. ICCM is an equity-focused strategy that provides timely treatment for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea at community level for populations with limited access to facility-based health care providers.
• This strategy is delivered by community-level health providers who are trained, regularly supervised, and have access to uninterrupted supplies of commodities. However, in Nigeria, iCCM currently depends heavily on donor support, compromising its sustainability. PMI-S plans to support Ebonyi and Benue/Zamfara states to implement iCCM using a sustainable approach as part of efforts to improve access to quality health services for children at the community level.
• PMI-S will adopt relevant national guidelines and protocols as well as leverage on lessons learned from iCCM projects implemented in Nigeria. In view of the above, PMI-S seeks the services of a consultant who will conduct a desk assessment of iCCM interventions implemented in Nigeria to identify good /best practices, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned; and apply the findings to a deeper assessment of iCCM needs and opportunities in Ebonyi state under TO 03. The consultancy may be extended later to conduct deeper iCCM assessments in Benue and/or Zamfara states under TO 04. The deeper state iCCM assessments will include key Informant interviews with SMOH, SPHCDA, and LGA Officials, as well as WDCs and community leaders to identify underserved LGAs and communities that will benefit from iCCM interventions.
• This consultancy is specifically for the national level desk review of iCCM and an in-depth assessment of iCCM needs in Ebonyi state.

Specific Tasks
The Consultant will carry out the following tasks:

• Task 1: Develop a study protocol and obtain ethical approval from the respective authorities
• Task 2: Conduct a desk review of iCCM interventions implemented in Nigeria, to identify strategic approaches, good/best practices, challenges, opportunities and lessons learned. The consultancy will identify key elements to the sustainability of iCCM implementation in the country. The review will cover a sample of iCCM interventions drawn from any states in Nigeria including Ebonyi, and will not be limited to only PMI-supported states.
• Task 3: Conduct a deeper assessment of Ebonyi state to determine which communities and populations would benefit most from the implementation of iCCM services, and with what models of iCCM service-delivery. The consultant will gather information on the distribution of the malaria burden (by geography and age groups), gaps in access to health facility-based malaria services, and lessons from previous iCCM implementation in Ebonyi to guide the selection of LGAs /communities where iCCM may be implemented in the state. S/he will conduct key informant interviews with SMOH officers (Director of Public Health, Director of Pharmaceutical Services, SMEP Manager, and IMCI focal person), Executive Secretary SPHCDA, LGA health managers (PHC Coordinators, LGA malaria and IMCI focal persons), WDC members and other community leaders to identify underserved LGAs and communities that will benefit from iCCM interventions and map potential resources to support iCCM implementation in the state.
• Task 4: Make recommendations on sustainable iCCM approaches in Nigeria and propose iCCM models that are most appropriate for Ebonyi state.

Deliverables:

• Submission of the study protocol and approval by PMI-S and the ethical review committee.
• A comprehensive report of the desk review of iCCM implementation in Nigeria including the selected state-specific components.
• A detailed iCCM assessment report for Ebonyi that includes a list of relevant management/coordination structures or contacts/stakeholders that can support iCCM implementation in the state.
• A PowerPoint presentation of key activities and findings.
• Documentation of key activities, methodology, findings, and recommendations for publication in a reputable journal.

Duration: 30 days:

• Timeframe: This assignment is expected to commence in February 2021 and end in March/April 2021. A detailed activity plan for the execution of this consultancy shall be submitted to the PMI-S Senior Malaria Technical Advisor for review and concurrence.
• Reporting: The Activity Manager for this assignment is PMI-S Senior Malaria Technical Advisor. All technical and administrative responsibilities related to this assignment should be brought to his attention.

Job Requirements

• A postgraduate degree (Master’s degree or PhD) in public health or a related field
• Must have at least 7 years of progressive iCCM programmatic experience working with the Federal Ministry of Health and/or State Ministries of Health in Nigeria
• Previous experience in successfully carrying out similar assignments in Nigeria is required
• Experience with iCCM implementation in the focus states will be an added advantage
• Must show the demonstrable capacity to publish the results of the study in a reputable journal.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online