In the advent of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) related to COVID-19 outbreak, USAID through its Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) program is providing technical assistance to the  Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC) to support the COVID-19 response in the areas of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) related to medical waste management and Supply Chain Preparedness for Emergency response. MTaPS has been tasked to support health facilities likely to receive COVID-19 infected patients to strengthen IPC capabilities and biosafety of professional staff related to medical waste management, preparation of alternative care facilities, and IPC training for selected regions. This will also include strengthening procurement, distribution and management of IPC and waste management commodities for the facilities.

Purpose

The purpose of this scope of work is to hire an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)/ Healthcare Waste Management (HCWM) Consultant to provide additional technical support to the MTaPS team in Tanzania  to deliver immediate technical assistance to the MOHCDGEC as the country braces up for a COVID-19 outbreak. This scope includes work that will be done at the health facility level, especially in hospitals that are likely to receive COVID-19 patients to prepare them for medical waste management and alternative care facilities for insolation and quarantine of COVID-19 suspected cases.

 

This work will require a senior practitioner, with expertise in infection prevention and control, within healthcare settings or in the context of outbreaks.  It will also require someone with experience of working with MOHCDGEC at a central level, with well-established connections.

• Conduct a rapid situational analysis of the healthcare waste management situation in designated healthcare facilities. The consultant will work with other MTaPS team members to conduct a rapid analysis of healthcare waste management situation in the selected treatment facilities, quarantine and isolation units designated for COVID-19 emergency response. This assessment with include reviewing adequacy of current practices, materials and supply chain to ensure that if an emergency occurs, all facilities will have the capacity including enough supplies to handle waste generated during the emergency response. The assessment should include but not limited to the collection, segregation, transportation and final disposal of waste including dead bodies, and the effectiveness of third-party agencies involved in health care waste disposal.
• Support the revision or development of facility emergency IPC and HCWM plans. The consultant will work with a team of experts from the central level and facility IPC committees to review and update or develop the facility IPC/HCWM emergency management plan for each designated facility to ensure that facilities have up-to-date emergency management plans, protocols and teams.
• Develop/adapt/revise guidelines, SOPs and standards for IPC and HCWM during COVID-19 emergency. The Consultant will work with the Health Facility Development Bureau and other technical departments of the DOH to develop, adapt or revise supporting documents to enhance facility level readiness. These will include SOPs, guidelines and standards for safely handling patients, training materials, waste generated from patient care, transportation of suspected or confirmed cases, final disposal of human remains as well as infectious waste.
• Coordinate training on infection prevention and control and healthcare waste management within the context of COVID-19 in health facilities in selected regions. The consultant will, in collaboration with other technical experts on IPC, provide technical assistance to the MOHCDGEC and the pool of national trainers to train health workers at designated health facilities, likely to receive patients infected with COVID-19 and to strengthen the overall IPC and HCWM competencies and emergency management preparedness. This will include training of practitioners in IPC and HCWM and conducting simulation exercises, assessing isolation units’ readiness. This will also include use of online platforms to deliver these trainings (zoom, google hang-out, etc).
• Support hospitals to activate facility emergency plans in case of outbreak. In the event of a declared case in a facility or an outbreak, the consultant will assist the national COVID-19 Emergency Management Task Force and facility teams to activate the facility IPC/HCWM emergency plan, provide technical assistance for monitoring and data collection to inform after-event review, and support the central level and facilities to determine and implement surge capacity, as necessary.

Deliverables

• Report on the rapid IPC/HCWM situational analysis of quarantine and isolation unites of designated facilities.
• COVID-19 IPC/HCWM training toolkit, deployment and training plan.
• Training supporting materials for health workers on IPC and HCWM, including SOPs, job aids, protocols, and poster reminders.
• Updated facility IPC/HCWM emergency plans for designated facilities to receive patients. Plans should include:
  • Planning worksheets/tools in electronic form.
  • Facility location, HCWM infrastructure and supplies needs, capacity/no. of beds, staffing needs for HCWM, coordination, diversion of non-essential staff, supplies, equipment, etc.
  • Analysis of intersectoral dependencies (e.g., other sectors provide clean water, contaminated waste disposal, food for the patients, transport of cases, psychosocial support, etc.).
  • Continuity of essential services analysis (what is essential, what can be stopped, plans for replacing essential staff who are sick, have died or are unable or unwilling to come to work).
• Facility-level monitoring reports.
• Submission of weekly activity update reports.

The following are the recommended qualification:

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the dynamics around COVID-19 emergency response required.
• Minimum of Master’s degree in field epidemiology, infectious diseases, communicable diseases control, global health, public health or any related field.
• MD or senior nurse expertise with understanding of mode of infection transmission preferred.
• Senior-level expertise with at least 5 year experience working in in healthcare, field epidemiology or emergency management.
• Demonstrated past experience in emergency management and supporting national level coordination.
• Demonstrated experience in Consultant assignments related to IPC and/or Healthcare Waste Management.

The following are mandatory requirements:

• Fluency in both Kiswahili and English language.
• Basic competency in Microsoft office applications.

Period of performance

The consultancy is a six months contract with a period of performance from May 1st   2020 through September 30^th, 2020.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health nonprofit organization, uses proven approaches developed over 40 years to help leaders, health managers, and communities in developing nations build stronger health systems for greater health impact. We work to save lives by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health. Since its founding in 1971, MSH has worked in over 150 countries with policy makers, health professionals, and health care consumers to improve the quality, availability and affordability of health services. Working with governments, donors, non governmental organizations, the private sector, and health agencies, MSH responds to priority health problems such as HIV & AIDS; tuberculosis; malaria; maternal, newborn and child health; family planning and reproductive health; and chronic non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and lung and heart disease. Through strengthening capacity, investing in health systems innovation, building the evidence base, and advocating for sound public health policy, MSH is committed to making a lasting difference in global health.

Management Sciences for Health is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or veteran status.

Project Director