HIV Diagnostics Coordinator in Uganda

About the Clinton Health Access Initiative: The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems in the developing world and expanding access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. CHAI’s solution-oriented approach focuses on improving market dynamics for medicines and diagnostics; lowering prices for treatment; accelerating access to life-saving technologies; and helping governments build the capacity required for high-quality care and treatment programs. Since its establishment in 2002 by President William J. Clinton, CHAI has worked on the demand and supply sides of the market to help more than 2 million HIV+ people access the medicines needed for treatment—representing nearly half of all people on HIV treatment in developing countries. Building on this model, CHAI has expanded its scope to include efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery systems and to combat malaria and childhood illnesses. Background: In 2012, the Government of Uganda, alongside key partners, began a national rollout of point-of-care (POC) CD4 testing machines to over 200 health facilities. CD4 is the crucial diagnostic test to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART). Access to CD4 testing, currently quite low in Uganda, is critical to guiding appropriate scale up of HIV treatment. These POC diagnostic machines, which are smaller and significantly easier to use than traditional CD4 machines, will allow lower level facilities to monitor CD4 without having to send blood samples to larger facilities, thus drastically increasing access. In the future, Uganda hopes to introduce a number of different types of point-of-care diagnostic tools, both for HIV and tuberculosis.  The aim of point-of-care products is to bring diagnostics out of the laboratory and closer to the patient, reducing the burden on patients to access testing.  A number of new technologies that have recently become available or are in the pipeline have the potential to increase access to treatment for HIV/AIDS and TB, improve patient retention, and make healthcare  systems more efficient.      Description: The Diagnostics Coordinator will work with the Ministry of Health of Uganda to support the evaluation, adoption, and uptake of new innovative diagnostic products for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.  The Coordinator will work on strengthening systems around the point-of-care machines currently in use in Uganda.  This will involve assisting the Ministry of Health with evaluation of the existing program, quantifying for supplies, and supporting the development of follow-up mentorship programs.  As new technologies become available, the Diagnostics Coordinator will focus on creating a conducive regulatory and policy environment for their use in Uganda and strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Health to adopt and appropriately scale up new technologies.  The Coordinator will provide analysis of the diagnostics market in Uganda to assist CHAI’s Laboratory Systems Team in negotiations with global device manufacturers.  We are seeking a highly motivated individual with outstanding credentials, analytical ability, and communication skills. The Coordinator must be able to function independently and flexibly, build strong professional relationships, and have a strong commitment to excellence. CHAI places great value on the following qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic. The Coordinator will spend ~15% of his/her time travelling domestically, primarily to regions with limited facilities. The Coordinator will report to the Deputy Country Director, who in turn reports to the Country Director.

Responsibilities:

Working in close collaboration with Ministry of Health officials, the Coordinator will be responsible for: Supporting the monitoring, evaluation and strengthening of existing point-of-care testing systems in Uganda Assisting the Ministry of Health to design and implement technical and operational pilots of new point-of-care technologies Assisting the Ministry of Health in the development of POC testing policies and national implementation plans, and the creation of operational systems to support the wide-scale implementation of new POC diagnostic products, such as training, quality assurance, and data management Working with the Ministry of Health, key in-country partners, and CHAI teams to identify funding for increased investment in POC diagnostic products in Uganda Designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems to measure the impact of POC testing and assess progress against project goals Other activities, as needed

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree plus 2-5 years work experience in a demanding, results-oriented environment Excellent written and verbal communications skills Excellent problem solving, analytical and quantitative skills, including fluency in Excel and PowerPoint Ability to navigate complex government processes with multiple influencers and to negotiate and achieve consensus Ability to learn on the job quickly and synthesize a broad range of information Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced environment Willingness to travel in remote areas with limited services ~25% of the time Strong work ethic and flexibility Pluses: Experience working in management consulting, finance or a similarly quantitative/analytical capacity Advanced degree in Economics, Public Health, Business or a related field Experience working in Africa and/or developing countries Experience in working in public health, HIV or other infectious diseases

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