Coordinate and Oversee the Implementation of Burden and Risk Assessment of Typhoid Fever

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Vacancy announcement - consultant
WHO Rwanda in Collaboration with Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) is inviting applicants from suitable qualified Rwandan Nationals to fill the following Consultancy:
Title: Coordinate and oversee the implementation of Burden and risk assessment of Typhoid Fever
Grade: NOC
Duty Station: Kigali
Date issue: 15/04/2022
Deadline: 24/04/2022

1. Background
The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommends the use of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) for infants and children over the age of 6 months, for the control of typhoid fever. The recommendation emphasize on the prioritization of TCV introduction in countries with the highest burden of disease or a high burden of antimicrobial resistance to Salmonella Typhi. The recommendation further state that national decisions on introduction of the vaccine should be based on an analysis of disease burden and risk factors for transmission.
Country specific data on Typhoid disease burden to inform TCV introduction decision-making and implementation strategy, may require local population-based data rather than modelled data to justify the use of limited available resources for TCV introduction in the immunization program.
In this framework, the collection of information on the Typhoid burden and risks is critical to support the decision for the introduction of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine. WHO in collaboration with partners is making efforts to support countries for the generation of evidence required to inform the decision.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) approved funding for Gavi-eligible countries to apply for TCV introduction support. As Gavi supported country, Rwanda took this opportunity to examine whether the TCV could be introduced in the routine immunization to control the Typhoid Fever infection.

2. Justification
The Rwanda National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NTAG) received and examined the MOH request for evidence-based recommendation on the introduction of TCV. After gathering the available data on Typhoid, NITAG recommended the assessment of burden and risk of Typhoid fever which shall provide more evidence to guide the decision on whether the TCV should be introduced in the routine immunization.
Given the importance of specific typhoid disease burden data to inform the decision-making and implementation strategy, NITAG will require more local data to justify the use of limited available resources and prioritize the introduction depending on the findings. However, obtaining comprehensive and good quality data on typhoid fever is challenging due to issues related to blood culture confirmation. Furthermore, available data may be dispersed countrywide and across independent institutions.
To guide the collection and review of available data, WHO in collaboration with United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the burden and risk assessment of typhoid (BRAT) framework and tool that will be used to collect data on TF incidence, AMR, intestinal perforations, outbreaks, and risk factors including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), which are important components of reviewing a country’s typhoid burden and risk. It is intended that the findings from the framework will support national decision makers in their decision to introduce TCV or other typhoid fever control strategies.
3. Purpose of the assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to support the coordination and oversight of BRAT implementation. Specifically, the assignment aims to coordinate planning, monitoring the implementation and reporting the findings.
4. Organizational context
Under the supervision of the WHO EPI focal point in collaboration with the Director of Water and Food Borne Diseases within the Public Health Surveillance and Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHS&EPR) Division in Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), the consultant will coordinate in collaboration with the RBC team and steering committee, the implementation of the BRAT.
5. Work assignment
The consultant will be responsible for planning, monitoring the implementation and reporting of BRAT. The consultant will be requested to support the following activities:
1. Conduct the literature review that identify relevant information for all six areas of assessment including Incidence, Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance, Outbreaks and Intestinal perforations, WASH, and other risk factors
2. Elaborate BRAT implementation plan
3. Provide technical support to organize and facilitate the steering committee meetings
4. Follow up on ethical approval process for the BRAT protocol
5. Prepare the training materials, organize and facilitate training of data collectors
6. Identify and assign field data collection teams to districts
7. Provide technical support to organize and supervise field data collection
8. Provide technical support for data compilation in the BRAT tools, analysis and drafting the preliminary report
9. Organize and facilitate the steering committee meeting to validation the BRAT findings
10. Produce the final report
6. Deliverables
The consultant is requested to deliver the following:
• Inception report
• Ethical approval obtained
• Preliminary report of findings produced and presented to steering committee for review and validation
• Final report produced
The above-mentioned deliverables shall be produced over two months

7. Qualifications of the consultant
Education:
• University degree in Medicine, Public Health or Epidemiology
Experience:
• Having experience in diseases surveillance and response and good understanding of Typhoid fever epidemiology
• Experience in conducting retrospective data collection, analysis, and interpretation

Skills
• Good communication and writing skills
• Teamwork

8. Submission of tender
Interested candidates shall submit their CVs by email to afwcorw@who.int
9. Selection and contract signing
After analysis of CVs, WHO Rwanda will notify the selected candidate in writing and call for discussion followed by contract signing if fully agree. The work is expected to start immediately after contract signing.
Done at Kigali, 14th April 2022
Dr Brian CHIROMBO
WHO Representative