HIV & TB Program Manager at Partners in Health (PIH)

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Partners in Health (PIH) is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PIH works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kazakhstan and Boston.

PIH began working in Malawi in 2007, where today we support the Ministry of Health (MOH) to serve a catchment area of 165,000 through 12 health centers and two hospitals in partnership with our sister organizations. Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) has its headquarters in Neno District with operations across the country.

We therefore seek to recruit suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the following positions:

Position: HIV & TB Program Manager

Reports to: Medical Director

Commitment: Full Time (Monday-Friday)

Working Hours : Regular Office Hours (40-45Hrs/Week)

Location: Neno District, Malawi

Position Summary

The HIV & TB Program Manager is a key member of APZU’s clinical leadership team overseeing planning and implementation of APZU’s HIV and TB program in line with the strategic and implementation plans, HSSP III reforms and safe programs that are aligned to PSEAH guidelines. He/she will do this in all the APZU’s supported facilities with support from the Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer. The HIV & TB Manager will lead the implementation of the decentralization of the HIV & TB care program to all primary care facilities to set up an efficient and effective care delivery system with emphasis on delivery of high-quality clinical and non-clinical HIV & TB services to the people of Neno District. He/she will ensure integration of APZU and MOH services at health facility and community levels —seeing to it that HIV recipients of care and TB patients have access to a “one stop centre” for all comorbidities with a deep focus on delivery of comprehensive biopsychosocial care.

He/she will also work closely with the APZU M&E, Informatics and Research department to bring about innovations and digitization of the systems, tracking implementation and impact of the program and to design continuous quality improvement projects to improve care. He/she will carry out supervisory functions for the teams under them; set priorities/annual performance deliverables for their teams, tracking performance, conducting appraisals etc. He/she will support development of proposals on HIV and TB and implementation of HIV/TB grants.

Responsibilities and Duties:

HIV Program Management (50%)

• Oversee and manage all aspects of the district’s HIV program (e.g., HIV care, HIV testing and Counselling, Default tracking (TRACE), expert patient, eMTCT, early infant diagnosis (EID),
  etc.) in close collaboration with the MOH and APZU POSER, and Community Programs teams to deliver a “core services package” in all ART clinics.
• Supervise and coordinate work assignments of all ART/HIV staff and participating in identifying and filling program staffing gaps.
• Ensure that the Medical Director is always up to date on all aspects of the HIV program.
• Provide high-quality clinical care to patients at ART clinics in accordance with National ART Guidelines.
• Plan and supervise logistics of mobile/outreach ART clinics to ensure that all essential personnel, health commodities (including laboratory consumables, ARVs and other drugs,
  etc.), medical supplies/equipment and necessary registers/documents are available for patient care.
• Lead APZU ART staff (including the ART Officer, ART Coordinator, ART Supervisor and ART Clerks) to deliver integrated, high-quality ART within all Neno health facilities.
• Oversee implementation of eMTCT strategy, in particular by ensuring appropriate integration of family planning, HTS, ART, ANC, and maternity services in accordance with the district
  eMTCT strategy.
• Oversee and review ART patient defaulter tracking in accordance with the APZU Default Tracking Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), by ensuring that adequate personnel and resources are available for tracking and coordinating tracking efforts of ART and Community department staff. Activities in the SOP include:
  i. Receiving a list of “defaulters” bi-weekly from the Medical Informatics team;
  ii. Tracking patients with missed appointments to facilitate prompt return to care; and
  iii. Data entry into the default-tracking database.
• Oversee APZU’s expert patient program by ensuring that adequate personnel and resources are available for continuity.
• Oversee HIV testing activities (PITC, HTS, etc.) by managing APZU HTS staff and resources to ensure delivery of high-quality HTS care and responsible usage of HIV testing kits. This
  involves:
  i. Collaborating with the HTS Coordinator to ensure that HTS counsellors are ALWAYS available at all Neno health facilities for duty on ANC, Maternity, and ART clinic days and to attend to clients in the community and other clinical departments including the TB, OPD and in-patient
  wards DAILY;
  ii. Working with MOH counterparts and the APZU HTS coordinator to promote universal “opt-out” HIV Testing & Counselling in all clinical departments (OPD, TB, In-patient Ward, ANC, Maternity etc.);
  iii. Supporting the APZU HTS Coordinator’s district-wide HTS counsellor supervision plan to ensure quarterly HTS counsellor proficiency testing;
  iv. Planning and implementing in collaboration with Community Programs a strategy for intensive community based testing on a quarterly basis;
  v. Working with the MOH, APZU HTS Coordinator, APZU Clinical leadership and supply chain team to ensure the appropriate supply and usage of HIV testing kits including proper documentation of HIV testing kit consumption;
  vi. Recording patient details and other testing data in appropriate MOH registers;
  vii. Supporting the APZU HTS Coordinator and Director of Human Resources and Administration in investigating any suspected cases of HIV testing kit misuse or pilferage.
• Oversee adolescent HIV care in Neno district through the following’;
  i. Oversee teen club activities implementation in Neno with emphasis on implementation of socioeconomic activities to improve livelihood of teens and their parents/guardians
  ii. Represent APZU in all teen club/ adolescent HIV care activities at district and national level
  iii. Coordinate the expansion of teen club to outreach clinics
  iv. Work hand in hand with M&E team in improving teen club data and outcomes
  v. Identifies needs among the team implementing teen club on the ground
• Collaborate with the Medical Director, Secondary Care Manager, Senior ART leadership, MOH ART Coordinator and MOH ART mentorship team, to perform quarterly supportive supervision at all Neno health facilities to ensure delivery of highest quality ART.
• Plan and implement strategies for improving ART care and outcomes, including strategies related to male circumcision, eMTCT, early infant diagnosis (EID), etc. in coordination with
  MOH counterparts, the APZU clinical staff and other APZU programs.
• Oversee regular (at least biweekly) ART team meetings to present programmatic updates, record key takeaways from the proceedings and assume responsibility for devising and implementing strategies to resolve challenges identified.
• Call and lead regular meetings with the M&E, Informatics and Research department to agree/update program indicators and review data for the program in order to identify successes and challenges, and to devise strategies and QI projects to address challenges in the HIV program.
• Collaborate with M&E, Informatics and Research department in the design of evaluations, data collection tools and analysis of data related to the HIV program.
• Assist with the production of abstracts, posters, and manuscripts for dissemination.
• Organize regular (at least monthly) meetings with the MOH District ART Coordinator to ensure coordination of activities between MOH and APZU.
• Work with Nutrition Education Coordinator to ensure appropriate distribution of Likuni Phala to HIV patients who qualify per APZU guidelines.
• Support community mobilization activities by assisting with organization of community events (e.g. World TB Day, World AIDS day, etc.) in coordination with leadership from the APZU Communications unit.
• Represent APZU at Regional and National meetings on HIV related issues with feedback to APZU management and other key APZU and MOH staff.
• Collaborate with the grant management teams grant acquisition, management and compliance teams.

TB Program Management (50%)

• Co-lead the development and implementation of the One PIH (APZU) TB strategy and roadmap with associated quality improvement projects to address TB challenges in Neno District.
• Help develop and/or adapt training materials and clinical tools for TB program.
• Collaborate directly with TB specific point people at the Ministry of Health (MoH) including the TB Officer.
• Help identify and measure programmatic indicators for TB in conjunction with the clinical and M & E teams.
• Support primary care facilities programs in improving TB infrastructure, supply chain, systems and mentorship for TB care.
• Coordinate with MoH and APZU Community Health Team Members (HSAs) to strengthen and support clinical and community programmatic ties for TB.
• Oversee and manage all aspects of the district’s TB program (e.g., TB care, TB screening and Counselling, Default tracking) in close collaboration with the MOH and APZU POSER, and
  Community Program teams.
• Supervise and coordinate work assignments of all TB program staff with identification and filling of HR gaps.
• Ensure that the Medical Director is always up to date on all aspects of the TB program.
• Provide high-quality clinical care to TB patients in accordance with National TB Guidelines.
• Plan and supervise logistics of mobile/outreach TB clinics to ensure that all essential personnel, health commodities (including laboratory consumables, TB drugs, etc.), medical supplies/equipment and necessary registers/documents are available for patient care.
• Direct APZU clinical staff in the delivery of integrated, high-quality TB services at all health facilities in Neno.
• Oversee TB patient defaulter tracking in accordance with the APZU and MOH Default Tracking Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), by ensuring that adequate personnel and resources are available for tracking and coordinating tracking efforts of TB staff.
• Collaborate with the Medical Director, Secondary Care Manager, MOH TB Coordinator and MOH TB mentorship team, in performing quarterly supportive supervision at all Neno health facilities.
• Plan and implement strategies for improving TB care and outcomes, in coordination with MOH counterparts, the APZU clinical staff and other APZU programs.
• Lead regular meetings with the M&E, Informatics and Research department to agree/update program indicators and review data for the program in order to identify successes and
  challenges, and to devise strategies and QI projects to address challenges in the TB programs.
• Collect all relevant data required for tracking implementation and outcomes of the program and, with assistant from APZU M&E, Informatics and Research department, produce regular
  reports on key program indicators to monitor quality of service delivery across all programs supported.
• Organize regular (at least monthly) meetings with the MOH District TB Officer to ensure coordination of activities between MOH and APZU.
• Work with Nutrition Education coordinator to ensure appropriate distribution of Likuni Phala to TB patients who qualify per APZU guidelines.
• Support community mobilization activities by assisting with organization of community events such as World TB Day in coordination with leadership from the APZU Community Program Department.
• Represent APZU at Regional and National meetings on TB related issues; Generate written reports from each meeting for dissemination to APZU management and other key APZU and MOH staff.
• Collaborate with relevant teams on grant acquisition, grant management, and compliance.

Required Qualifications and Attributes

• MD, MBBS holder
• If Malawian, active registration with the Medical Council of Malawi by the time of starting the job
• Board-certification (specialist) in Internal Medicine or Masters in Public Health or any other relevant Master’s degree in clinical medicine will be an advantage
• Minimum of five years’ experience working in HIV/TB programs in a resource-limited setting
• Experience in team oversight, managing clinical staff and using data for action and managing budgets
• Strong strategic planning capabilities, ability to analyse situations and skills to elaborate possible solution strategies
• Fluent in English and demonstrated proficiency in English writing skills
• Fluent in Microsoft Office with ability to produce reports and documentation independently
• Willingness to live and work full-time in the rural, hard to reach district of Neno
• Ability to work well in a dynamic team environment alongside health workers, support staff and patients from a variety of backgrounds

Benefits & Remuneration

An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidates commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Method Of Application

Qualified and interested persons should apply to the address below, enclosing their cover letter; copies of relevant certificates and Curriculum Vitae indicating three names of traceable referees with valid telephone numbers and email addresses not later than Friday, 12th April, 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Email: apzuhr@pih.org with the title of the position indicated on the subject of the email.

Or

The Director of Human Resources and Administration
Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU)
P.O. Box 56
NENO

Or

P. O. Box 1774
BLANTYRE

Or

P.O. Box X172
Area 3
LILONGWE

NB: Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is is an equal opportunity employer, so, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, tribe, disability status, or any othercharacteristic protected by law. We strive to
provide an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is committed to safeguarding staff, children and communities with whom we work with. We are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work-including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and are protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. Therefore, any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of applicable background checks.

The Organisation does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. If you are asked to make a payment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact vgondwe@pih.org and
speakup@pih.org.