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WHO/EPI announces a new Inter-Country Medical Officer Post
(CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: March 21, 1997)
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The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking an epidemiologist for a new
position being created in West Africa through a Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) contribution to WHO. The incumbent will be based
in Bamako, Mali to support polio eradication and EPI activities in West
Africa, with a specific focus on Mali, Niger and Senegal. The incumbent
will work with national Ministries of Health to plan, implement and
evaluate National Immunization Days (mass campaigns delivering oral polio
vaccine to all children under five years of age) for polio eradication. The
incumbent will also contribute to the strengthening of routine childhood
immunization
services and will be responsible for improving disease surveillance within
these same countries. Emphasis will be on implementing acute flaccid
paralysis surveillance to identify populations where wild polio virus
continues to circulate and to provide the date needed to certify
eradication.

Tenure: Short Term Professional contract (11 months, with option for
renewal up to three years).
Experience: Prior experience in international health and/or immunization
programmes is required.
Languages: Fluent spoken and written French. Fluency in English is
    desireable.

The position is open to Canadian citizens or persons with Canadian work
documents. Women are encouraged to apply.

Send a CV and have three letters of reference sent by mail to:

Chief, Division of Immunization,
Bureau of Infectious Diseases
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
Health Protection Branch, Health Canada (on behalf of WHO)
PL0603E1
LCDC Building
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0L2, Canada

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DETAILS:

Under the supervision of the Director of Disease Prevention and
Control, develop national skills in implementing routine and
supplemental immunizations and establish effective disease
surveillance systems for Acute Flaccid Paralysis, and strengthen
Surveillance for other EPI diseases.

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

Objective 1.  Develop national systems of surveillance for the
Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) target diseases, monitor the
completeness and effectiveness of reporting and the use of surveillance
performance indicators, at the district level.  Develop and apply training,
monitoring and evaluation methods and materials.

Objective 2. Initiate evaluation of country programmes and assist
countries in developing national plans of action in relation to
requirements of the EPI disease control goals.  Review country data
from outbreak investigations, routine monitoring of immunization
coverage and surveillance reports to identify the need for changes in
national strategies.

Objective 3.  Ensure development of satisfactory technical policies
and that adequate resources are made available to meet needs in the
West African epidemiological block,and specifically in Mali, Senegal
and Niger, through national inter-agency committee data.

Objective 4.  Provide regular information concerning the progress
towards EPI disease control goals in Western Africa.  Collect and
nalyse data, and prepare reports on progress in the epidemiological
block of countries towards polio eradication and contol of other EPI
target diseases.  Assist in the development and use of computerized
EPI information systems at sub-regional and country level to provide
regular transmission and feedback of data from routine programme
monitoring, as required.

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

Objective 1.  Cooperate with national responsibles to plan, organize
and implement training activities, especially at the district level.

Objective 2.  Cooperate with national responsibles in the follow-up of
trained field staff to ensure that the skills gained by the trained staff
are put into practice, in order to strengthen district level disease
control activities.

APPLIED RESEARCH ACTIVITES

Objective 1.  Participate in planning and implementing national
research activities supportive of poliomyelitis eradication, neonatal
tetanus elimination and measles control.

Objective 2.  Participate in polio outbreak investigation and control
activities.

Objective 3.  Participate in periodic national EPI programme reviews
and EPI disease surveillance reviews to identify programme needs.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Other duties as may be requested by WHO or the government.
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