Contractual Arrangement: External consultant
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 3.5 months
Job Posting: Aug 3, 2023, 10:05:14 AM
Closing Date: Aug 18, 2023, 4:59:00 AM
Primary Location: Cambodia
Organization: WP_KHM Cambodia
Schedule: Full-time
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.
Purpose of the Consultancy
This Local Short-Term Consultant (STC) will design and support
implementation of highest priority activities for reducing maternal
mortality in Cambodia as indicated through the Fast Track Initiative
Roadmap (FTIRM) for Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Mortality
2023-2030. These will include the strengthening of maternal death
surveillance and response (MDSR) and baseline work for caesarean section
monitoring. The consultant will also document the activities and
successes of the Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) program and its
contribution to the reduction in neonatal mortality in Cambodia.
Background
Cambodia has achieved significant gains in maternal and child
health over the past decade. Both under five mortality and neonatal
mortality have more than halved between 2014 and 2022 from 35 to 16 and
18 to 8 per 1000 live births (CDHS 2014 & 2021/22). Cambodia has
therefore already reached its SDG target for both, set at 25 for under
five mortality and 12 for neonatal in both global and national SDG
frameworks. Skilled birth delivery has already reached the Cambodian SDG
(CSDG) target of at least 95% being 98.7% in 2022 (up from 89% in 2014)
and 97.5% of births take place in a health facility. Despite this,
maternal mortality remains relatively high, declining from an estimated
170 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014 to 154 in 2021/22.
In addition, key equity gaps remain in maternal and child health by
education level of the mother, rural urban residence and wealth among
others. Pregnancy in adolescents 15-19 carries a higher risk of maternal
death and whilst the percentage of 15-19 years old ever have being
pregnant declined from 12% to 9% between 2014 and 2021/22 this is
currently off-track to reach a CSDG target of 4% by 2030. Caesarean
section (C-section) rates have more than doubled between 2014 and
2021/22 from 8% to 18% of all deliveries and are more common in non-NGO
private medical sector facilities (50%) than in public health facilities
(10%) (CDHS 2021/22). Access to medically necessary C-section is
crucial to protect the health of mother and baby but medically
unindicated C-sections carry a higher risk of maternal death than normal
delivery.
It is important that efforts to accelerate maternal mortality
reduction and leave no-one behind are targeted and supported in order to
reach the CSDG target of 70 by 2030 whilst building on and not losing
gains made including in neonatal and under five mortality reduction.
With technical support through WHO, the new Fast Track Initiative Road
Map for Reducing Maternal and Newborn Mortality 2023-2030 was developed.
The strategy highlights priority interventions to accelerate progress
in particularly reducing maternal mortality toward Cambodian SDG target
as well as maintain neonatal mortality. These include reducing unmet
need for family planning and ensuring coverage of quality emergency
obstetric and newborn care (EONC) particularly basic EONC (BEONC) in
locations closer to communities. As indicated in the FTIRM understanding
and addressing root causes of maternal death and developing initiatives
early to reduce caesarean sections that may not be medically necessary
or indicated will be important considerations in further reducing
maternal mortality. The FTIRM It also will inform the development of
sub-sectoral strategies and annual plans and resource mobilization and
allocation for implementation of key interventions.
Planned timelines (subject to confirmation)
Start date: 1 September 2023
End date: 15 December 2023
Work to be performed
A consultant is being sought to support the Ministry of Health
(MoH), National Maternal and Child Health Center (NMCHC) in their
development and implementation of priority strategies arising from the
FTIRM for Reduction of Maternal and Newborn Mortality 2023-2030. This
will include a particular focus on strengthening quality Emergency
Obstetric and Newborn Care and Maternal Death Surveillance and Response
(MDSR). The consultant will also be part of a team highlighting
contributions from the implementation of a package of Early Essential
Newborn Care (EENC) to date in the reduction of neonatal mortality in
Cambodia, drawing lessons and implications for further work including
for maternal mortality reduction.
Output/s:
Output 1: Baseline analysis to understand drivers and inform future
monitoring of C-section in Cambodia make recommendations for the future
including on approaches and informational needs to support medically
necessary and reduce medically unnecessary C-section.
Deliverable 1.1: Policy briefs and power point presentation on
unavoidable and avoidable drivers of C section and recommendations for
future monitoring and strengthening of medically necessary C-section.
Output 2: Fit for purpose review of current information and
implementation of maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR)
conducted including structures and processes for MDA committees at
national and subnational levels, scope of current audits (including
potential benefits of including near miss whilst still prioritizing
deaths and the advantages and disadvantages of widening to include
neonatal deaths or not) and approaches to carrying out the audits.
Deliverable 2.1: Briefing note with review and recommendations
discussed including and, updated MDA committee terms of reference,
membership and protocol / guidance as appropriate.
Deliverable 2.2: Demonstration of potential changes to process and
scope of review in two districts (one or two provinces) to support
finalization of recommendations and updated MDA protocol.
Output 3 : Input to review of contribution of Early Essential
Newborn Care to reduction in neonatal and under five mortality in
Cambodia and lessons learnt including application to accelerate
reduction in maternal mortality whilst building on gains in neonatal
mortality reduction.
Deliverable 3.1: Cambodia case study on successes and lessons in reducing neonatal and child mortality made available.
Specific requirements
Qualifications required:
Education
Essential : Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent, or PhD) in public health or in relevant field.
Experience
Essential: At least ten years of experience in working with
reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, and policy and strategy
development.
Desirable: Significant regional/global experience and technical
competency in the areas of reproductive, maternal, and newborn. Relevant
Cambodian experience is an advantage.
Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:
-Good knowledge of (and ideally in-country experience in) maternal and newborn health and health systems in Cambodia.
-Good oral and written English language skills.
-Experience in the development of reproductive, maternal, and newborn strategic plans;
-Knowledge and skills in the delivery of obstetric and neonatal care services in low and middle-income countries
-Strong working ability in Khmer is an advantage
Language requirements:
Good oral and written English language skill
Place of assignment
The consultant largely works at the National Maternal and Child Health Centre, and one day a week at WHO office.
Medical Certificate
The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.
Travel
The consultant is expected to conduct few field visits to provinces as necessary.
All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be
responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express,
prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this
consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.
Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to
fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.
Additional Information:
• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be
required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the
degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only
considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an
institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database
(WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities
(IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link:
http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in
the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest
ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO
Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse
(SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e.,
discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the
WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful
workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA,
sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that
individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or
other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO
will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a
personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or
authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does
not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the
Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes,
duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by
the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for
withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions
and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in
each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed,
and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by
WHO.
Moreinfo: https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2306533
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