Jobs and Careers

COMPETITION TYPE: 

Incorporating Community-Based HIV and HCV Lay Testing into National Guidelines and Regulations

DETAIL DESCRIPTION: 

Background Information:
People Inject Use Drugs (PWID) represent one of the most affected and vulnerable communities to HIV in Armenia, though services available to this population are rather limited or aren’t in line with international standards and recommendations. HIV prevention and detection services among PWIDs in Armenia are supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, however package of available services is limited, with lack of community-oriented grassroot and low-threshold approaches. In these regards, one of the main issues is access of PWID to HIV testing services in community-tailored environment. Though, HIV self-testing has been introduced in country and provided by community service provider, regular testing services are still concentrated in medical facilities, with national regulations requiring medical license to perform blood-based rapid testing. HCV testing in Armenia, is available only in medical settings. MdM introduced the community-based HCV testing for the first time in the country since 2021. With purpose to contribute to increased access of PWID to HIV and HCV screening and timely detection, MdM is focusing its efforts on revision of national regulations to enable community-based HIV and HCV lay testing services, in line with WHO recommendations.

Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of the assignment is to review national HIV epidsurveillance guideline and other respective regulatory documents (decrees, orders, etc.) to ensure national regulations allows HIV and HCV lay rapid testing (blood and saliva-based) services in community settings. The main objectives of the assignment are:
- Review and update HIV epidsurveillance guideline and other regulatory documents (decrees, orders);
- Ensure compliance of HIV and Viral Hepatitis Testing in Harm Reduction Settings protocol elaborated by MdM with national regulations.
While maintaining independence, the process revision and update of the guideline will be carried out based on a participatory approach and direct involvement of MdM team and other stakeholders if and where relevant.

Duties and Responsibilities:
- Review and update national HIV epidsurveillance guideline in line with international recommendations on HIV lay testing in community settings;
- Review and update national legal acts regulating issues of medical licensing for HIV and HCV testing services;
- Review HIV and Viral Hepatitis Testing in Harm Reduction Settings protocol elaborated by MdM on compliance with national guidelines and regulations;
The Consultant will be supervised by the Field Coordinator of MdM in Armenia with the technical support of the Program team in Georgia.

REQUIREMENTS: 

Key Competences and Required Skills:
- Advanced university degree (at least master's) in Public Health, Epidemiology or similar fields;
- At least 5 years of experience in public health field;
- Experience of developing and adapting national healthcare guidelines and protocols;
- Experience in working with governmental stakeholders will be an asset;
- Fluency in Armenian and English languages.

Deliverables and Timeframe:
Review and update of national guideline - 15 April 2022
Review and update of national legal acts - 31 April 2022
Review of MdM elaborated protocol - 15 May 2022.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

Interested candidates are welcome to provide their signed proposal with daily rate and total price for 10 days of services along with the CV to: *******.*******.*******@***************.*** .

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: 

Short Term Service Contract: Assignment considers total of 10 consultancy days.