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Background and Purpose:
The Ministry of Health in Uganda has made significant strides in addressing the public health challenges posed by HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. These diseases remain critical public health issues due to their high prevalence rates and severe health implications. Vertical transmission [previously known as mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT)] of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B is particularly concerning as it perpetuates the cycle of disease transmission and poses severe health risks to newborns and mothers alike. Uganda's “Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, (PMTCT)” program has been a cornerstone in the fight against these infections. The program integrates various interventions, along the antenatal care, safe delivery, and postnatal care continuum, to prevent vertical transmission through the National Elimination Plan aligned with the latest scientific advancements, epidemiological data, and global health guidelines.
The existent National Plan for Elimination of Mother to child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B (2019/20-2022/23) II which has expired, was developed by the Ministry of Health of Uganda for strategic guidance with the goal to significantly reduce the prevalence of these diseases among infants born to women living with HIV (WLHIV), or infected with Syphilis or Hepatitis B, and to enhance overall maternal and child health outcomes. As a result, a lot of progress is recorded, where the country sustained HIV testing and maternal ART coverage above 95% respectively and scaled up syphilis testing from 57% to 94% and treatment to 83% but also made progress in mainstreaming Hepatitis B programming into Maternal and Child services including testing (63% pregnant women tested), viral load and treatment (42% of those tested positive). Additionally, innovative point of care testing for EID and viral load for mothers was introduced and scaled up to 323 health facilities leading to improvement in timely EID testing within 2 months for HIV exposed infants from less than 50% in 2018/2019 to 85% in 2023/2024.
National commitment toward the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B with a dedicated response and normative guidance has been in existence for over 10 years. Originally prioritizing HIV, Syphilis was introduced following 2014 WHO guidance on dual elimination and Hepatitis B was introduced in 2021 to expand to Triple Elimination. Through rapid and systematic adaptation of these robust policies, the MoH has successfully scaled up implementation of integrated MNH/EMTCT interventions to primary health care facilities; this has fundamentally driven the above results.
Despite these gains, vertical transmission of HIV remains one of the major modes of HIV transmission in Uganda accounting for 12.4% of all new infections in 20231. Relatedly, several missed opportunities persist along the maternal and infant cascade with sustained high treatment drop-offs (13% at 12 months), and incident HIV infections during pregnancy/breastfeeding (up to 2,800) are estimated, all contributing to 82% of new pediatric HIV infections through vertical transmission. Despite the high coverage of EMTCT services in the country, the rate of new HIV infections among infants is decreasing at a much slower rate. Without fast-tracked data-based interventions, the target for the elimination of pediatric HIV/AIDS will not be met. The multiple entry points in receiving peripartum services provide a unique opportunity for coordination and integration of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis interventions to move towards triple elimination of vertical transmission. Some countries have already begun pioneering an integrated approach to elimination of all these transmittable diseases through strategies that integrate provision of the essential package of services for prevention and treatment of HIV, HBV, syphilis screening and malaria; noting that the integrated services are provided by way of the maternal, newborn and child health platform/clinics.
Currently, Uganda is one of the high HIV burdened countries and ranked fifth globally and was therefore targeted among the 12 high priority countries for phase 1 of the Global Alliance (GA), a 9-year global initiative to end AIDS in children by 2030. The initiative envisions an end to AIDS in children, achieved through a strong, strategic and action-oriented alliance of multisectoral stakeholders at national, regional and global levels that works with women living with HIV and their families, national governments and partners to mobilize leadership, funding and action to end AIDS in children by 2030. It is premised on 4 pillars2. A GA National action plan (NAP) was developed and disseminated sub-nationally; it has been implemented for over 18 months with dedicated support for implementation fidelity to sustain acceleration of the paediatric response toward the 2025 milestones, which are intended lever efforts toward the 2030 goals. The elimination plan squarely aligns with all four pillars of the Global Alliance.
Following its expiry, the Ministry of Health has recommended a comprehensive review of the Elimination plan II to inform the development of an updated plan which is aligned with national and global last mile priorities, initiatives and strategic plans focused on sustained acceleration of progress toward the 2030 goals. The revised plan will also take into consideration the evolving epidemiology of diseases, emergency of innovative technologies, rapidly contracted resourcing and slowed reduction in vertical transmission and its impact on maternal and child health. To this end, the CSD section at UNICEF Uganda in partnership with the MoH, seeks to recruit a national consultant to to review and update the National Plan for Elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
Purpose:
The purpose of this consultancy is to lead the process of evaluating and updating Uganda's National Plan for Elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B (2019/20-2022/23) II to ensure its relevance, effectiveness, and alignment with other existing 5-year strategic plans. The consultant will provide expert guidance in evaluating the achievements, challenges, and gaps of the current plan, and propose revisions to enhance its impact and sustainability.
Justification:
Despite considerable progress, Uganda faces persistent challenges in achieving the triple elimination of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. The existing plan, while instrumental, is now outdated and does not fully reflect current realities or the latest global health recommendations. Key areas that require attention include the integration of new diagnostic tools, the optimization of treatment protocols, and the enhancement of community-based interventions.
Updating the Elimination plan is crucial to:
1. Reflect the latest scientific and medical advancements in the prevention and treatment of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
2. Address identified gaps and barriers within the current PMTCT program that hinder the achievement of triple elimination.
3. Align Uganda’s efforts with global targets and best practices, ensuring the country is on track to meet international health commitments.
4. Identify what has worked well in country and elsewhere that needs to be scaled up to achieve elimination targets.
5. Enhance coordination among stakeholders, including government bodies, healthcare providers, non-governmental organizations, and community groups, to streamline efforts and maximize impact.
Objectives:
General Objective:
To systematically review the existing national plan for the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B to identify residual gaps and overall strategy responsiveness toward the 2030 elimination goals.
Specific Objectives
i. To identify gaps requiring improvement based on current epidemiological data, best practices, national and global guidance.
ii. To develop an updated plan for the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B that incorporates new guidelines, technologies, and approaches to achieve triple elimination.
iii. To create an implementation framework that outlines clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines for all stakeholders.
iv. To ensure the updated plan aligns with national health priorities and global targets for the elimination of MTCT of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
Major responsibilities/ Tasks
• Attend inception meeting with UNICEF and partners and submit an inception report with a detailed workplan including timelines and consultation tools.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing elimination plan, including an analysis of current data, outcomes, and challenges.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, WLHIV, NGOs/ CSOs, and affected communities, to gather input and feedback.
• Review and incorporate the latest global guidelines and best practices for the elimination of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
• Identify and analyze gaps in the current plan and recommend evidence-based interventions and strategies.
• Draft an updated elimination plan, ensuring it is comprehensive, actionable, and aligned with both national and international goals.
• Develop a detailed implementation framework, including timelines, milestones, and responsible parties.
• Facilitate workshops and meetings with stakeholders to validate the updated elimination plan and implementation framework.
• Disseminate updated elimination plan and implementation framework to relevant stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the updated plan.
Deliverables:
1. Inception report & Elimination plan II review report
• Inception report and Power point presentation
• Comprehensive report on the review/evaluation of the elimination plan II, data, literature, guidelines, program reports, etc.]
2. Stakeholder consultation report & Draft Elimination plan III
3. Final Elimination plan III [inc. implementation framework] & Dissemination report

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
• Advanced university degree in Medicine, Public Health, or other related academic fields
• At least fifteen years of relevant experience working in the areas of public health, HIV and /or development.
• Comprehensive technical knowledge and skills for HIV programming, with focus on PMTCT, Paediatric and adolescent HIV care and treatment, strategic information skills and health systems strengthening.
• National level public health programming
• Proven ability to manage complex partnerships.
• High level of initiative and ability to navigate challenges in prioritization to complete tasks and deliverables in a timely manner is essential.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English with strong interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytic skills and report writing skill.

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
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We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable are encouraged to apply.
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Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.