Job Title:   Technical Advisor – HIV Care & Treatment     

Organisation: Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Senior Technical Advisor – Care & Treatment

About US:

The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), the legal body of Catholic Bishops of Uganda with funding from Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) is implementing the Comprehensive HIV Epidemic Control project through FBO/PNFP health facilities in the seven CDC supported regions within Uganda. The project supports PNFP facilities in Masaka, Kampala, Mubende, Soroti, Hoima, West Nile and Rwenzori regions. Internally the project is known and shortened as FLASH– Faith Led Action to Sustain HIV Epidemic Control. The five-year project (Oct 2020- Sept 2025) is in its 3rd year of implementation.

Job Summary: The Technical Advisor – HIV Care & Treatment provides technical leadership, guidance and mentorship to regional and site clinical teams in HIV treatment services. S/he organizes and supervises clinical trainings, provision of technical assistance and mentorship to sites. S/he supports advanced HIV disease management, viral suppression and regimen switches, participates in national and regional 3rd line committees, regimen optimization for both adults and pediatrics, retention, TB/HIV comorbidity management, liaises with laboratory and supply chain logistics teams and supports Continuation of Treatment (CoT) activities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical and Strategic Leadership

• Serves as the technical advisor for UEC FLASH project in all aspects of clinical care and treatment for HIV/AIDS with an emphasis on antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation, continuity of treatment (CoT), multi-month dispensing (MMD), regimen optimization, differentiated service delivery (DSDM), adherence and viral load coverage (VLC) and viral load suppression (VLS) at regional and facility levels.
• Provides expert-level guidance to health facility clinical and counseling teams in HIV/AIDS care and treatment
• Keeps current on all new developments in HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support in order to advise and/or lead health facilities and the UEC technical team on priorities and implementation approaches.
• Convenes technical meetings to review progress and discuss improvement initiatives.
• Supports the review of facility budgets and workplans to ensure they are responsive to the requirements to meet set targets and quality standards.
• Any other duty that may be assigned from time to time.

Capacity Building

• Conducts training, mentorship and technical support supervision regularly to Care & Treatment project officers at regions and health facility staff on aspects of HIV care and treatment
• Development of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) guides for regions and facility teams to refer to. The SOPs include, but are not limited to, CoT, Viral Load Coverage (VLC) and Viral Load Suppression (VLS), ART regimen optimization for children, adolescents and adults, Advanced HIV Disease Management (AHDM)
• Support regional teams and facilities to prepare and present client details pertaining to 2L regimen failure, participates in 3L meetings organized by Regional Referral hospitals and National 3L committees.
• Provides technical assistance for AHDM and other complicated clients with multiple comorbidities.
• Conducts Continuous Medical Education (CME) sessions physically and virtually on key sub technical areas

Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Improvement

• Working with the Strategic Information (SI) team, prepares and responds to ad-hoc reports and data calls on different indicators under care and treatment.
• Supports recording and reporting of data in HIV care and treatment. Participated in periodic data quality assessments (DQAs) and ensures that reported data is accurate, complete and timely as a good representation of the HIV care and treatment indicators.
• Supports the institution of data-driven CQI projects in sub technical areas that need improvement
• Foster a learning environment that facilitates cross learning and exchange of best practices, recommended strategies, and innovative interventions to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving services through UEC UCMB facilities.
• Support active participation of clinical teams in QI collaboratives
• Support facility-level and UEC-level periodic data review meetings with follow-up of agreed action plans for improvement
• Conducts facility-level assessments using the SIMS (Site Improvement Monitoring System) tool and supports facility teams to address identified gaps.

Representation, Collaboration and Teamwork

• Works closely with District Health Management Teams to deliver quality HIV care and treatment services.
• Works with the Supply Chain and Laboratory advisors to ensure uninterrupted supplies of logistics for supported health facilities
• Works closely with other partners including the regional comprehensive mechanisms to optimize opportunities for cross sectoral integration and leveraging of resources across the different program components to guarantee client-centered services are prioritized and implemented across all supported health facilities

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Degree in Clinical Medicine, a degree or post graduate training in any other related field is an advantage.
• Knowledge in training, mentorship and technically sound
• Strategic decision making and leadership
• Teamwork, networking and good interpersonal skills
• Experience working with HIV, TB or related public health projects for at least 3 years is required

How to Apply:

All eligible and interested candidates should apply and attach their signed CVs, copies of certificates, degrees, and testimonials. Suitable candidates residing in highlighted regions are encouraged to apply. Applications indicating duty station applied for and job reference number should be directed to the address below;

The Secretary General

Uganda Catholic Secretariat

Plot 672, Hanlon Road, Nsambya Hill

P.O. Box 2886

Kampala. Uganda

Deadline: 21^st October 2022

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