Infection Prevention & Control

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Description

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The objective of the WHO Nepal Country Office is to implement the Country Cooperation Strategy by supporting the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Government of Nepal (GoN) in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of national health policies, strategies and plans and developing and managing WHO’s technical cooperation programmes at the country level. The Country Office collaborates with the Government of Nepal and relevant stakeholders in support of their efforts of achieving national health goals; ensuring the attainment of universal health coverage and of contributing to global and regional public health action by providing need-based technical assistance in national level policy formulation, setting norms and standards, improving knowledge dissemination and management, monitoring country health situation and building sustainable institutional capacity, to play a greater leadership role in different national-level policy technical forums. WHO provides guidance and technical support in organizing the humanitarian health response following multi-hazard emergencies and in revitalizing the capacity of the health sector to recover and rebuild from emergencies in appropriate and sustainable ways. In the inter-emergency period the objectives are to increase the capacity and resilience of the Nepal Health System to reduce risk, prevent and prepare for disasters, to mitigate adverse health consequences, through supporting the Emergency Risk Management interventions prioritized in the national plan for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030); and the health security interventions for enhancement of core capacities required to comply with the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 as prioritized in the National Action Plan on Health Security (NAPHS), National Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance (NAP-AMR) and National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP).WHO strives to integrate and harmonize the actions undertaken for enhanced ERM and Health Security with the interventions implemented to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and health systems strengthening through appropriate capacity building and co-ordination mechanisms and partnerships. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) supports the MoHP, GoN to direct and coordinate the rapid provision of life-saving emergency health interventions at scale in the aftermath of multi-hazard emergencies and disasters and subsequently assists in the rapid recovery of the health system in collaboration with national and international partners. Thereupon it provides technical support to the MoHP and partners to enhance health sector emergency risk management through prevention risk reduction or mitigation; preparedness and response readiness to build a health system that is resilient to multi-hazard disasters including public health emergencies.

Duties:

• Under the overall guidance of the WHO Representative, Incident Manager, WHO Incident Management System/Team Lead (WHE); direct supervision of National Professional Officer (Infectious Hazard Management) and in coordination with other teams within WHO Country Office, the incumbent will perform the following duties:
• Provide technical support to align the country’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) targets with the WHO guiding principles outlined in the Global Strategy for IPC (GSIPC). These principles emphasize a people-centered approach, prioritizing healthcare worker protection, patient safety, compassionate care, and the essential role of IPC in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and strengthening preparedness, readiness, and response to disease outbreaks.
•  Contribute to the development, review, and implementation of national and sub-national IPC policies, technical standards, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and action plans. Ensure alignment with national strategies, policies, plan, and roadmaps.
•  Provide technical support for the development, endorsement, and implementation of the National IPC strategy. This includes delivering orientation and capacity-building activities, as well as implementing national and subnational surveillance guidance for Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI).
•  Facilitate the establishment of mechanisms to collect feedback from hospitals and healthcare professionals regarding their needs for materials and activities aimed at improving IPC practices. Strengthen coordination among government counterparts, frontline health workers, and clinical experts to enhance collaboration and effectiveness.
• Support the development, design, and implementation of IPC training programs aimed at preventing healthcare-associated infections, including those caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and high-threat pathogens (HTPs). This includes reviewing and leveraging existing IPC materials and toolkits from WHO and other relevant global guidance to ensure effectiveness and consistency. Additionally, strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers in IPC by delivering essential knowledge and practices.
• Assist in the development of technical resources for IPC in an infectious disease setting, including relevant visuals, PowerPoint slide decks with talking points, a collection of case study materials, and knowledge assessment resources, as needed.
• Ensure effective coordination between IPC efforts, clinical readiness initiatives, and other activities related to emerging infectious diseases.
• Contribute to the development of country project proposals for IPC-related activities in collaboration with the WHE team members, ensuring alignment with broader program objectives.
• Support the implementation of IPC-related programs by coordinating with relevant stakeholders and enhancing IPC initiatives at various levels.
• Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor, Team Lead-WHE or WHO Representative. This includes traveling to provinces or reassignment to other duty stations as per program requirements.

Qualification:

Education:

Essential: 

•  Bachelor’s degree in medicine, public health, Nursing, or a related healthcare field.

Experience:

Essential:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in IPC, health systems strengthening, or infectious disease management, including experience in the design and implementation of IPC programs. 
• Experience in the development of technical resources, guidelines, SOPs, and training materials for healthcare settings.
• Experience in providing technical assistance and support to government or healthcare systems in relation to IPC policies, standards, and guidelines.

Source: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2500471

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