UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. 

Maternal and Child Health (MCH) remains a priority in Tajikistan’s National Development and Health Sector policies and strategies1 including Tajikistan’s commitment to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Despite significant gains in the last decade, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) outcomes in Tajikistan are worse than the average in Central Asia and Caucasus regions. Rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are high. Preventable illnesses contribute to a considerable proportion of all child deaths in Tajikistan. Acute infections are the leading cause of death in the post-neonatal period. Acute respiratory illness (ARI), pneumonia, and acute diarrhea still account for more than half of reported child deaths within the first year of life, a pattern that has remained persistent over the last decade2.

Poor quality of care is a major concern of the Ministry of Health for several reasons: insufficient training of health workers, lack of evidence-based clinical guidelines, underuse of generic drugs, poor infrastructure, limited budget and lack of essential equipment at primary and secondary levels of health care (Health System Review, 2016)3. Though the Ministry of Health introduced an accreditation system and review of maternal death and near-miss cases, there is no emphasis on continuous quality improvement at all levels of care. The Quality of care has suffered significantly from brain drain, beginning with the civil war and continuing into the present, as health workers seek higher wages abroad.

A baseline assessment in 2022 revealed significant gaps in the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) system at both primary and secondary healthcare levels, which have contributed to high rates of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and posed substantial risks to patients, healthcare workers, and the environment. Key challenges identified include inadequate healthcare waste management (HWM) systems, where waste segregation, storage, and treatment processes were found to be inconsistent or absent in many facilities.

Additionally, outdated policies and regulations, combined with gaps in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), have resulted in poor adherence to infection control measures such as hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and waste management. Furthermore, the lack of proper infrastructure, including non-functional or missing decontamination equipment, severely hinders safe healthcare waste disposal and the effective management of hazardous substances, creating the risk for infection spread.

The EU funded Health Development Program, through UNICEF supported MOHSPP in implementing an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) project across 42 secondary and 1,500 primary health facilities in selected districts of Tajikistan. The project has supported establishment of an effective IPC system at both primary and secondary healthcare delivery levels, thereby enhancing the Government of Tajikistan's capacity for an effective COVID-19 crisis response. The interventions included developing supportive policies, upgrading medical, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and healthcare waste management infrastructure to meet national standards. Additionally, the project focused on enhancing the knowledge and practices of healthcare workers in IPC and quality care, as well as increasing community awareness and knowledge about IPC at the household level. The project was implemented in 37 selected districts and 42 secondary health care facilities in the country (including City/Central district hospitals and infectious diseases department/ hospitals).

Within this context, UNICEF Tajikistan Country Office seeks to hire an individual consultant to conduct the endline assessment and document the impact of these interventions noted above.

How can you make a difference? 

The main objective of the consultancy assignment is to conduct the endline IPC assessment in the selected secondary (maternity, surgical, pediatric, infectious diseases, laboratory) departments and primary health care facilities of the selected districts. This includes assessment of the impact of the implemented context-appropriate infection control and healthcare waste management policies and mechanisms in line with the latest international standards. The required technical support will include a review of the existing policies, standards, assessment, and situation analysis on Infection Prevention and Control practices (IPC) and Healthcare Waste Management (HWM) in the selected health facilities of project districts. A crucial component of this assessment will be comparing the results with those of the baseline assessment to measure the progress and effectiveness of the interventions implemented throughout the project.

DUTY STATION/DURATION:
Duration: 100 working days between 15.10.2024 - 28.02.2025
Supervisor: Health Specialist, UNICEF Tajikistan

The Consultant will work under the guidance of the Health Specialist and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population, WHO Country office IPC expert, experts of the national and districts center of Sanitary and Epidemiological Services (SES), the Republican Clinical Centre for Family Medicine and other relevant departments and centers of MOHSPP to do the following:
1. Adapt Methodology: Review and refine the methodology developed for the baseline assessment, ensuring it aligns with international standards and is contextually appropriate. Test and finalize the methodology, including the determination of sampling composition and the number of teams required for data collection.

2. Organize Training: Develop comprehensive training materials and organize training sessions for the assessment teams selected by the MoHSP. Ensure the training covers all necessary aspects of IPC/HWM assessments, with a focus on primary and secondary health care facilities.

3. Supervise Data Collection: Oversee the data collection process, ensuring it is conducted systematically and in accordance with the agreed methodology. Provide real-time support and troubleshooting to the data collection teams to maintain data quality.

4. Facilitate Discussions: Organize and lead initial discussions with engaged experts and health workers from target districts to review the assessment results. Focus discussions on the efficiency of IPC facility scorecards and the performance of IC sub-committees in health facilities. Facilitate the discussions on the impact of the developed/updated national regulatory environment, policies, guidelines, protocols, SOPs, including monitoring framework on IPC and HWM;

5. Report Writing: Produce a comprehensive final assessment report that includes recommendations, lessons learned, and follow-up actions. Ensure the report is developed in English submit it to UNICEF and MOHSP for approval. Main findings need to be reflected in a separate document in form of policy brief and presentation.

UNICEF will be responsible for arranging meetings with government counterparts and other stakeholders and for convening consultation events.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Education: Advanced university degree in the fields of Public Health and/or Health/Social Policy, Epidemiology with specialized training in infection prevention and control (IPC), healthcare waste management (HWM).
• Work Experience: Minimum 5 years of practical experience including the infection prevention and control (IPC) and healthcare waste management (HWM), as well as a proven track record of working with government health authorities, international organizations, and stakeholders in public health, particularly in organizing assessments, managing field operations, and producing high-quality reports and recommendations.
• Expertise in designing and refining assessment methodologies, determining sampling frameworks, and ensuring the alignment of data collection processes with international standards, particularly in the fields of infection prevention and control (IPC) and healthcare waste management (HWM).
• Relevant technical expertise and consultancy experiences with international/UN organizations in the field of epidemiological safety (including assessment in accordance with WHO guidelines) and health system strengthening.
• Competencies: Proficiency in data analysis and interpretation involves the ability to systematically analyze collected data, ensuring accuracy and reliability, and to synthesize findings into actionable insights, policy recommendations, and comprehensive reports, particularly within the context of infection prevention and control (IPC) and healthcare waste. management (HWM)
• Language: Knowledge of Tajik and Russian. Fluency in English (written and spoken) is an advantage.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• CV/Cover letter
• Completed EOI form (Annex 2) at the link
• Completed financial proposal (Annex 3)
• Contact of three references
• Sample of past work relevant to the technical assignment – 2 reports

Applications financial proposals will not be considered.

Applications must be received in the system by 20 October 2024 on UNICEF website.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.