HIV Surveillance Technical Advisor | ReliefWeb

****Title: HIV Surveillance Technical Advisor****

****Place of Performance: Kenya****

****Service Objectives:****

Under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) the HIV surveillance technical advisor will provide technical advice and guidance to the Government of Kenya and its partners in enhancing national HIV surveillance systems to improve knowledge of epidemiologic trends and monitor the burden of HIV infection in Kenya.

****Task Requirements:****

Technical assistance (70%)

The HIV surveillance technical advisor will provide technical advice and consultation to the National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP) and its HIV surveillance partners in the planning, human subjects review, training, implementation, data analysis, data dissemination, and evaluation of CDC-supported HIV surveillance activities. Activities include but are not limited to:

· Participation in NASCOP technical working group (TWG) meetings and forums related to HIV surveillance

• Key population surveillance and size estimation


• Support the establishment of a routine key population surveillance system


• Participate in the development of survey protocols, survey tools, and training material for formative and quantitative surveys among key populations


• Participate in monitoring and oversight of key population surveys


• Participate in data analysis and report writing


• Participate in key population size estimation and data triangulation activities


• HIV case-based surveillance


• Participate in the development of survey protocols, survey tools, and training material


• Participate in monitoring and oversight of HIV case-based surveillance pilot


• Participate in data analysis and report writing


• Provide input on national roll-out of HIV case-based surveillance


• National population-based surveys


• Participate in the development of survey protocols, survey tools, and training material for national surveys


• Participate in monitoring and oversight of national surveys


• Participate in data analysis and report writing,


• Participate in dissemination and data use activities


• HIV co-morbidity surveillance


• Participate in the development of survey protocols, survey tools, and training material for HIV co-morbidity surveillance (e.g. TB and other opportunistic infections, HIV drug resistance)


• Participate in monitoring and oversight of HIV co-morbidity surveillance


• Participate in data analysis and report writing


• Evaluation of surveillance systems


• Support NASCOP to evaluate existing and new HIV surveillance systems to ensure that the attributes of a well-functioning surveillance system are achieved and outcomes for the surveillance system are met


• Identify gaps in existing HIV surveillance systems and provide recommendations for improvement

Branch Support (20%)

As a member of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Team of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch (SEB), the HIV surveillance technical advisor will provide support to SEB, to the HIV prevention branch, and other DHGA Branches to ensure maximum coordination on surveillance projects of high priority to the Division. The HIV surveillance technical advisor will:

· Ensure appropriate linkages and involvement of CDC Kenya DGHA staff on cross-cutting HIV surveillance activities;

· Assist the Branch by participating as a member of the Strategic Information Interagency Technical Team to ensure HIV surveillance priorities for NASCOP are discussed and included in the PEPFAR Country Operational Plan;

· Support Surveillance and Epidemiology Branch work plan development and review;

· Assist with data triangulation between routine monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and surveillance and epidemiology data sources;

· Lead an epidemiologic study of interest.

Capacity Building (10%)

The HIV surveillance technical advisor will provide technical assistance to develop the capacity of NASCOP and sub-national level government staff in the area of HIV surveillance. The HIV surveillance advisor will:

· Provide one-on-one support to staff on protocol and study tools development, ethical review submission, data analysis, and dissemination of HIV surveillance activities and data, with a particular focus on key populations

· Assist in the development and delivery of training curriculum for data analysis and report writing for NASCOP-supported HIV surveillance activities

****Minimum Qualifications and/or Certifications:****

• Masters of Public Health or masters level degree in related field.


• Masters level understanding of epidemiology


• At least 4 years total public health experience


• At least 2 years post graduate work in HIV surveillance , including experience conducting national HIV serologic surveys in the general population or sub-national surveys among key populations at risk for HIV infection


• Research and evaluation experience, including protocol and tools development, ethics review board submission/management, study coordination, data analysis, and report writing.


• Ability to use statistical software packages for basic and intermediate statistical analysis.


• Excellent writing skills and experience in development of strategic documents, briefing documents, protocols, survey tools, reports, and manuscripts.


• Prior experience working within or in collaboration with government at Ministry of Health level.


• Knowledge of Kiswahili an added advantage