Uganda: Public Health Officer

DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Since July 2016, Uganda is witnessing a massive influx of refugees from South Sudan (around 2,000 arrivals per day) through various formal and informal entry points along the border with south Sudan. Refugees are hosted in several settlements in the West Nile area of Uganda. Uganda is also hosting large refugee and asylum seeker populations from DRC, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, etc. As of February 2017, the population of all settlements was estimated by OPM at more than 1mio persons in 10 major settlements and an urban refugee population in Kampala.

In the West Nile two UNHCR sub-offices (Arua and Adjumani) coordinate the provision of international protection and assistance to lifesaving and life-sustaining services, including health care. Access to primary health care services is provided through partners (nationals/international NGOs) who have established a network of health facilities in settlements and work closely with government health authorities and health institutions.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer, the Public Health Officer supports UNHCR efforts during this emergency and ensures that standards for international health and nutrition are met to minimise avoidable mortality and morbidity among populations of concern. The Public Health Officer will play a key role in the coordination of health and HIV. S/he will coordinate a network of field-level focal points based in the field offices provides technical support to UNHCR field offices, partners and various units in the area of public health within UNHCR Operations in Uganda, primarily but not limited to Arua and Adjumani sub-offices¿ related-areas of operations.
S/he will work in close collaboration and technical support from the senior regional public health officer based in Nairobi.
S/he supports programme planning, monitoring and evaluation; promotes capacity-building of focal points from implementing partners and those from UNHCR field offices, collect and share nutrition-related information with a network of partners including the sister UN agencies, Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the area of operation.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

• Public health, reproductive health, HIV services provided to refugees in the area of operation are based on Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognised and most up-to-date standards and policies

Responsibility

• Monitor and evaluate public health programmes in the operation zone against agreed standards to ensure that programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner.
• Support capacity building initiatives so that refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR, UNHCR and its partners acquire the needed knowledge, skills, and sense of responsibility and ownership of programmes.
• Ensure that national and/or internationally accepted and relevant standards and policies are applied and adapted in close coordination with the Ugandan Ministry of health and relevant UN agencies and partners in order to guide the provision of essential public health services (preventative and curative, including, Reproductive Health and HIV services and mental health and psychosocial support services).
• Establish and/or adapt UNHCR internal guidelines and procedures to streamline inputs and improve efficiency of programme activities through integrated public health response also taking into account crucial services such as nutrition and food security, water and sanitation, site planning and shelter.
• Identify gaps and overlaps in programming, address unmet needs, and orient existing activities to address priority public health issues.
• Promote inter-sectoral coordination outside and within UNHCR in all matters related to public health programmes in the operation zone.
• Undertake needs and resources assessments with Governments and partners in order to prioritise needs and activities in provision of services to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
• Undertake all aspects of health and nutrition programme monitoring and evaluation with emphasis on checking levels of implementation and impact vis-à-vis resource inputs to measure cost-effectiveness and re-orient the programmes as appropriate.
• Support field health focal points and coordinators to develop training plan, organise and act as resource persons in workshops and training both in-service (formal) and on the job (coaching).
• Share with partners on the ground relevant guidelines and information materials.
• Promote information sharing on all aspects related to health, reproductive health and HIV.
• Ensure regular updates and share information within UNHCR as well as with relevant government partners and offices.

Authority

• Make recommendations on public health issues impacting on the health status of the Persons of Concern.
• Represent UNHCR in relevant regional meetings and technical conferences in the area of public health.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Clinical degree in Health Care (e.g. medical qualification) with a Masters-level qualification in Public Health, Nutrition or related field.
• At least 6 years of relevant experience in progressively responsible functions at national or international levels.
• Excellent knowledge of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

• Experience of working with the Ministry of Health.
• Experience in public health assessments, health data management and survey design and analysis.
• Practical working experience in refugee settings.

Position Competencies

C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X002L3 - Innovation and Creativity Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X009L3 - Change Capability and Adaptability Level 3
X006L3 - Policy Development & Research Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3
X008L3 - Stakeholder Management Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3

DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES

• A clinical degree (nursing or MD) with advanced university degree in Public Health, Nutrition or Social Science.
• Minimum 6 years of previous job experience relevant to the function and in national/multinational organizations.
• Knowledge of public health, nutrition and HIV in humanitarian emergencies and development context.
• Very good communication and computer skills.
• Excellent knowledge of English language
• Training and capacity building of implementing and governmental partners
• Multi agency coordination and dealing with the public
• Experience is dealing with multiple crisis
• Ability to come up with creative and innovative solutions to operations challenges.

CURRENT SITUATION

In line with Uganda’s commitment to peace and security in the region, and in recognition of the protracted nature of displacement, the Government of Uganda took the decision to integrate refugee management and protection within their own domestic mid-term planning through the National Development Plan (NDP) II (2015/2016 ¿ 2019/2020). Through the NDP II, the Office of the Prime Minister is mandated to develop and implement a Refugee Settlement Transformative Agenda¿, the goal of which is to assist refugee and host communities by promoting socio-economic development in refugee-hosting areas. In support of Uganda’s vision, the UN, in tandem with the Government, developed the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) outlining the contribution of the UN in Uganda towards assisting the Government in achieving the objectives of the NDP II. UNDAF focuses on three priority areas: Governance, Human Capital Development, and Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development. While many aspects of the UNDAF support and promote refugee and host community self-reliance and resilience, the primary entry point is through the Refugee and Host Population Empowerment (ReHoPE) strategy, a multi-year joint framework for self-reliance and resilience programming for refugee and host communities in Uganda’s refugee-hosting districts. ReHoPE seeks to move beyond a traditional care and maintenance approach¿ to enable refugees and their host communities to become safer, self-reliant and to live their lives with dignity. ReHoPE ultimately aims to develop new and innovative approaches to protracted forced displacement by addressing the humanitarian-development nexus. In light of this, Uganda has been identified as a pilot country for the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework announced as part of the New York Declaration in September 2016.

Uganda is currently hosting 898,082 refugees and asylum-seekers according to the Government’s Refugee Information Management System (RIMS) (as of end of October), the largest number in the country’s history. Uganda continues to receive three simultaneous emergency influxes from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Around 62% of the total refugee population are from South Sudan, around half of whom have arrived since the outbreak of violence in July 2016. The vast majority of South Sudanese refugees are being hosted in Uganda’s West Nile district in settlements in Adjumani, Yumbe, Arua and Koboko. New arrivals from South Sudan are received at transit or collection centres in Elegu, Palorinya, Kerua and Kuluba. The majority of new arrivals are currently being hosted in the recently opened Bidibidi settlement, which in the space of a few months has become one of the largest refugee-hosting areas in the world. Together with the Government of Uganda, UNHCR coordinates the humanitarian response in the refugee settlements, working with implementing and operational partners to provide life-saving assistance and basic services.

The Government of Uganda (GoU) is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. It is also party to the 1969 OAU Convention. It has incorporated its obligations under international law within its own domestic legislation through the 2006 Refugee Act and 2010 Refugee Regulations. Uganda adopts a settlement approach to refugee management and protection, whereby, upon receiving refugee status, new arrivals are provided with plots of land in refugee-hosting villages on which to build new homes and grow agricultural crops. Refugees are able to freely access public services such as health and education and are granted a range of rights and freedoms, including freedom of movement, to seek employment and to start their own business. The operational implication of this is that programme management becomes more akin to a rural developmental programme rather than a typical refugee camp management. Longer term vision and creative linkages with developmental actors are required to ensure that the settlements are developed with a multiyear vision and linked more closely with the district government structures. Refugees are also free to choose to live in urban settings, where UNHCR support is focused on protection issues, community services and limited livelihood assistance.

WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS

Arua is a medium size town with the population of about 700,000. The town is peaceful. Arua is located in a corner of the country that borders both South Sudan and the DRC. There are significant amount of local economic activity as a result of cross-border trade.
Good accommodation is available in Arua. Health facilities are available but basic. All other recreation facilities are available.
Staff members are required to make accommodation arrangements of their own (either in UN cleared hotels or through private rental arrangements in which case prior advice from UNHCR Field Safety Advisor has to be sought.
Banking facilities are available
Internet services; mobile services are available but not very reliable.
PAMA is used in the office.
Power supply is not regular and most of the time power is supplied by Generator.
No International schools are available.
Inadequate medical facilities available.
Vaccines for Meningitis, Yellow Fever, and Typhoid are required and also take Anti Malaria Tablets before proceeding.

SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

Arua Sub office is 6 hours’ drive away from Kampala in West Nile. It has a new field unit being established in Yumbe district with several border crossing points along DR Congo and South Sudan borders. Arua as well as Koboko and Yumbe district are all considered under having a low security level (security level II). It is a non-duty station category. Although a fast growing town Arua, Yumbe and Koboko have challenges of poor social, health, educational and recreational amenities. Settlements have thus been established in Rhino camp, ocea and Bidibidi for the South Sudanese refugees. Although terrorism is a threat across Uganda, the major security challenges in Arua, Koboko are road traffic accidents, petty economically motivated crimes, domestic violence and disease outbreaks and prevalence include but are not limited to Malaria, HIV, hepatitis B and Typhoid fever. The UN security management system has put in place mitigation measures to reduce on the impacts of the safety and security challenges there-in.

ADDITIONAL FACTORS

Although English is the only essential language, knowledge of Arabic language will be an asset since many refugees speak it.

Please apply through the UNHCR website at http://www.unhcr.org/careers.html under International vacancies