Baylor College of Medicine
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION-MALAWI
VACANCY
Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Malawi (BCMCF-M) is a not-for-profit organization working with the Malawi Government in the health sector. Our Mission is to provide high-quality, high-impact, highly ethical pediatric and family-centered health care, health professional training, and clinical research, focused on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria,
malnutrition, and other conditions impacting the health and well-being of children and families worldwide.
The Baylor-Tingathe program developed in 2008 initially responded to suboptimal uptake of PMTCT and pediatric HIV services in Malawi and has grown over the past 14 years to support the full cascade of HIV care and treatment services. The current CORE programming seeks to support the Malawi Government in achieving epidemic control, by providing client-focused care to People Living with HIV from the time of diagnosis to linkage and full engagement in care.
BCMCF-M’s CORE programming is funded by USAID, and is currently operating in 6 districts in Malawi; Mangochi, Machinga, Phalombe, Balaka, Salima, and Lilongwe.
BCMCF-M is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of:
JOB TITLE: HIV Diagnostic Assistants
Location: Various Health Facilities
District: Mangochi, Machinga, Phalombe and Salima
Reporting to: Site Supervisor, CHPO/CC and Facility in-charge
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The HIV Diagnostic Assistant will work as part of a team at the health facility and in the community to implement the Tingathe program and ensure that sites provide excellent quality HIV care and achieve site-level targets. Under the leadership of the Site Supervisor, with support from the CHPOS and Cluster Coordinator, he/she will work at the Health facility and in the community to support clients to start and remain on ART with suppressed viral load. As a member of a team, the HIV diagnostic assistant will also work closely with MoH staff to ensure that the site provides excellent quality HIV care. He/she will additionally provide HIV testing services, counseling, and follow-ups at the facility and community levels.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
1. Know and understand the Tingathe program, SOP, objectives and protocols, Site level targets and implement the program at site level.
2. Provide HTS, EID, VL, Syphilis and Hepatitis B testing in the community and at facility.
3. Work with clients both at the facility and community and actively link them to care.
4. Engage with community structures to improve retention of clients and viraload suppression
5. Support ART clients to initiate and remain in ART care, including support for disclosure, adherence and viral load suppression.
6. Counselling of clients-including but not limited, disclosure, pre-ART and adherence counselling, EID, ECD, COVID Vaccine uptake using the Welcome service approach.
7. Tracing clients in the community clients with treatment interruption or missed appointments for example.
8. Assisting with the ART clinics-screening clients for eligible services, managing client flow,giving health talks, Audits, preparing for clinics with prescreening master cards.
9 . Conduct thorough documentation in registers and provide detailed as well as sound reports as required
KEY DELIVERABLES:
1. Contribute to achievement of facility targets for case finding, ART initiation, Viraload suppression and retention in care.
2 . Quality HTS, EID, VL and Syphilis testing services in the community and facility levels.
3 . Quality index case testing and case finding
4. Ensure a safe, clean and organized conditions at all relevant service points.
5 . Provision of quality counselling to promote linkage to care, adherence to treatment, and retention in care, including but not limited to pre ART, IAC sessions, disclosure, EID, ECD, welcome etc.
6 . Timely documentation and reporting on all activities i.e. Clients traced by phone or in person to their homes.
7 . Screen effectively for HIV testing including index case testing, VL and EID needs, cervical cancer screening, TB, COVID, gender-based violence and other services.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The HIV Diagnostic assistant is expected to;
1. Support clinical care during ART clinics-counselling of clients, screening and other duties.
2. Support implementation of Tingathe program
3. Tracing of clients by phone or in person
4 .Provide quality counselling to promote linkage to care, adherence to treatment, and retention in care
5. Mobilizing the community for HIV Testing, retention, viraload and prevention services Link clients to ART, TB and other clinical cares as well as cervical cancer prevention, community resources and all required services.
6. Attend program meetings
7 . Provide quality HTS services at the facility and community levels
8. Submit daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly reports as needed
9 .Complete MoH registers and Tingathe tools completely and accurately in real time.
COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
1. The candidate Must be an MSCE holder
2. Certified HTS provider trained in new skills intensive guideline
3 . Capacity to produce high-quality briefs and reports in English.
4 .Strong experience with HIV/AIDS prevention, counselling, care and support
5. Strong interpersonal skills to engage partners and community members
6 .Fluent in written and oral Chichewa and English
7. Able and willing to ride a bicycle sometimes long distances into the community.
8. Should be proactive in identifying and undertaking activities that are beneficial to the Tingathe program.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. The job is physically demanding and tiring due to working in rural areas and sometimes weekends or evening hours. Working 8 hours daily.
Method Of Application
Suitably qualified and experienced candidates should address their applications, including a detailed Curriculum Vitae, Copies of certificates including logbook, and names of three traceable referees to:
The Executive Director
Baylor College of Medicine,
P/Bag B397
Lilongwe.
FOR PHYSICAL DELIVERY:
1) Baylor College of Medicine
Mangochi Office
Next to Mwema Lodge
2) Makengere Plaza
Machinga Office
3) Phalombe Migowi
Malihama Lodge
4) Baylor College of Medicine- Salima Office
Mwambiya Towers-Second Floor
The closing date for receiving applications is 20th December, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged.
Applications submitted through email will not be accepted