Associate Public Health Officer at UNHCR
Details
Mission and objectives
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a UN agency
mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities,
and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation,
local integration or resettlement to a third country.
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Context
The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN
General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate
international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems
worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being
of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right
to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to
return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third
country (www.unhcr.org).
UNHCR Operations in Tanzania is managing a camp-based Persons We Serve
(PWS) population of 249,383 refugees of whom 66.83% of the population
are influx (Burundians) and 33.97 % are Congolese as of 31 March 2023.
The refugees are currently situated in 2 namely Nyarugusu (131,811 PWS)
and Nduta (76,176 PWS) located in northwestern Tanzania. UNHCR Tanzania,
in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and representatives of
the donor community, has also been providing durable solutions for
thousands of refugees through voluntary repatriation, local integration
through naturalization and resettlement. As part of the basic needs for
refugees, Public Health including Reproductive, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition
services remains crucial and significant making it one of the key
sectors of UNHCR refugee operation. This is in addition to other basic
services including Shelter, water and sanitation facilities and etc. It
is important to ensure effectivities delivery of health services and
also ensure that refugees received the required services and are
involved in delivery and management of services. In view of this, the
incumbent will need to support the Public Health Officer to good
coordination among the stakeholders in the health programme to minimize
avoidable illness and mortality rates through proper programming. The
incumbent will also work closely with the Ministry of Health, Health
partners and other UN agencies on matters related to the entire health
programmes of the refugees. In addition, he/she would identify and
address issues of public health importance to all UNHCR programmes
including care and maintenance, reception of new arrivals, resettlement,
and repatriation. The incumbent will be based in Kasulu Field Office
and directly cover Nyarugusu Camp.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the overall supervision of Head
of Field Office, Kasulu or his/her designated mandated
representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Public Health Officer
will:
Programme planning, monitoring and evaluation together with UNHCR
partners to effectively address issues of public health importance,
based on the principles of public health and Primary Health care in the
refugee camps and transit centers as well as in the areas of return for
returnees.
•Ensure the public health services provided by partner to refugees and
returnees are complying with the required national and international
standards. Guide and support partners to use the UNHCR Health
Information System and collect UNHCR statistics verifying Core Standards
and Indicators; review monthly health data; and compile technical
periodic reports as well as the Annual report on the health situation.
•Ensure implementation of appropriate country protocols and guidance and
adherence to UNHCR specific guidance for public health programming.
•Support partners in the implementation of the public health programmes, including reproductive health, HIV and mental health.
•Provide guidance and follow up to partners in the implementation of UNHCR action plans including for malaria and HIV/AIDS.
•Provide technical contributions during planning, implementation and
monitoring and evaluation process in the UNHCR program cycle.
•Ensure timely coordination and implementation of UNHCR led programmes
Coordination of services between UNHCR partners, National and
international NGOs, other UN agencies, and Ministry of Health, and other
sectors; ensuring early engagement of development agencies as
appropriate.
•Capacity building of partners and refugee health officials as
appropriate in identified areas of weakness; facilitation of partners’
access to training activities conducted by other agencies, with a
particular focus on health information and disease surveillance; malaria
management; safe motherhood; integrated management of childhood
Illness.
•Participate in advocacy, information sharing and communication on the
health situation of populations of concern, within UNHCR and among
partners, donors, other agencies, and the Government.
•Acts as focal point for UNHCR for any health and medical matters in relation with the UNHCR strategy.
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•Participate actively in appropriate groups on the health, population,
HIV/AIDS, and other cross cutting working groups and or forums related
to health and medical issues, with the aim to anchor refugees and
returnees’ health concerns and needs into the ONE UN health program.
•Coordinate and lead monthly health coordination meetings with
implementing partners, in close coordination with the programme section.
•Coordinate the medical referral activities from the camp health
facilities to the district and regional referral hospitals and insure
adherence to the referral SOP and UNHCR referral guidelines.
•Support the implementation of proper drug management system according
to UNHCR guideline and work with the IPs in the preparation and
finalizing the essential drug list.
•Update the epidemic contingency plans for the common epidemics in the
area and insure availability of supplies stock in the camp.
•Actively participate and engage with Community Services unit and NGO
implementing partners in organizing and conducting participatory
assessments with persons of concern to UNHCR to assist in analyzing the
service delivery gaps identified in Health and nutrition and involve
refugees by age and gender to brainstorm in finding solution options for
the problems.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
•Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of
volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take
active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark
International Volunteer Day);
•Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
•Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
•Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for
UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
•Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
•Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or
encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV
Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
