Research Officers Wanted at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)

Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is a leading research organization in Africa, with a strong
track record in developing, testing and validating innovations for health. Driven by a core
strategic mandate for research, training and services, the institute’s work now spans a wide
spectrum, covering biomedical and ecological sciences, intervention studies, healthsystems
research and policy translation. The specific project will be conducted within the
Department of Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences (EHES): EHES group hosts
our malaria vector research programs,

We are seeking to recruit two research officers / to join a team working on new technologies
for surveillance and control of mosquitoes as follows;-

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS AND JOB SUMMARY.
1. Affordable, scalable, low-technology transfluthrin emanators for protecting
against transmission of Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses. (DA ES
SALAAM)
Existing repellent products are designed for middle and high income country
markets, where users can afford to replace or retreat them every day, week, or
month. However, these are too expensive and impractical for routine use in
communities of low-income countries. We recently developed a low-technology
emanatory which releases repellent transfluthrin vapour more slowly, to provide
protection against mosquitoes for months or even a year at a time. Thus far
however, this device has only been assessed against night-biting vectors of malaria
and filariasis.
The overall goal of this study is therefore to repeat these assessments of efficacy
for the day-biting Aedes aegpti, the most globally important vector of Dengue,
Chikungunya and Zika. The project will be implemented in Dar es Salaam, where
Aedes Aegpti is abundant and has been responsible for Dengue epidemics.
2. Durable, practical, effective and affordable formats for insecticide-treated eave
baffles that protect households and suppress malaria transmission (IFAKARA,
MOROGORO)

Vector control with long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying
(IRS) account for most of the malaria cases averted in recent years, but emerging
physiological resistance to insecticides threatens this gain. Carbamates and
organophosphates are the most appropriate classes of insecticides recommended
for implementing the WHO Global Insecticide Resistance Plan over the short term,
but neither can be safely applied to LLINs and both are prohibitively expensive as
routine IRS applications. Apart from this malaria vector species such as Anopheles
arabiensis are repeatedly entering and then rapidly exiting from houses through
eaves and thus avoiding lethal contact with insecticides.
Overall goal: is to optimizing the use of insecticides treated eave baffle in reducing
malaria transmission.This project will be implemented in Ifakara, Morogoro

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
The research officer will work hand in hand with project team to ensure that the following
responsibilities are met:
• Working closely with project leader in designing the experiment
• Assisting the project leader on developing tools for data collection
• Coordinating all field work activities
• Implementation and supervision of field work including field volunteers
• Ensure all mosquito collected are sorted, properly identified, labelled and data
entered in field data collection forms
• Perform data entry and cleaning
• Ensure medical research ethics are adhered
• Reporting Progress to the project leader
• Maintaining good relationship with field team and local stakeholders
• Report to Project leader
• Other duties as assigned by the project leader and administration

QUALIFICATIONS:
Bsc (General), Bsc Zoology, Bsc in Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Degree in
Environmental Health and Ecological related Sciences, Bsc in Biological Sciences, Degree
related to Parasitology and Entomology.
.
COMPETENCIES
• Computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Spoken and written English to business standards
• Spoken and written KiSwahili to business standards
.
REMUNERATION.
An attractive and competitive remuneration package will be offered to successful
candidates as per IHI salary scales. The contract will initially be for one year with a three
month probation period.

MODE OF APPLICATION:
All candidates meeting the above job requirements should channel their application letters
with detailed curriculum vitae (CVs) showing contact address, e-mail, telephone numbers,
and photocopies of academic and professional certificates to the address below. The
applicant should also ‘’explain which of these projects you would like to undertake,
why you chose that one, and how you propose to address the research goal’’.
IHI staffs working in other projects may also apply and should channel their applications
through respective project.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: Ifakara Health Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We
prohibit intentional biases or discrimination and harassment of any kind at the work place
and during recruitment. All employment decisions are based solely on job requirements and
individual qualifications, and our recruitment process is governed by the labour laws in the
United Republic of Tanzania.

The dead line for this application is 28th November 2016. Interviews will be held in Dar es
Salaam.

Chief of Human Resources Officer,
Ifakara Health Institute,
Kiko Avenue, Mikocheni,
P.O.Box 78373,
Dar es Salaam.
E mail: recruitment@ihi.or.tz Copy to govella@ihi.or.tz