TB/HIV Mentor Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ)

TB/HIV Mentor – TBLON, Ref No. TBH/TB/22/04/22

Reports to the Medical Officer TB, the incumbent is responsible for the coordination of TB case finding and treatment activities and provision of TB technical support to health facilities and prisons under Ministry of Home affairs (MOHA) and Ministry of Defense (MOD). The incumbent serves as the liaison person between CIDRZ and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defense as well as other implementing partners/stakeholders supporting the above ministries on issues relating TB programming.

Main Duties

• Supports the community partners to conduct contact tracing and defaulter tracing for both drug susceptible and drug resistant TB cases.
• Strengthens active TB case finding with completion of the TB diagnostic cascade at health facilities under the MOD and MOHA, police camp health centers, police cells and prisons.
• Provides support to the effective referral system of tuberculosis and HIV patients within the police, prisons and Ministry of Defense facilities to ensure integration of TB and HIV services within facilities
• Conducts supportive and supervisory visits to TB and HIV care facilities, prepares reports on supervisory visits, and provide remedial actions on constraints to the district and the facilities supported
• Participates in all TB and TB/HIV forums at local level and provides updates as required
• Works closely with the MOD, MOHA and MOH TB focal point persons to organize and coordinate TB data review meetings, clinical meeting and QI meetings.
• Provides effective mentorship to clinicians and nurses on TB programming including on the high-risk groups for drug resistant TB and the appropriate drug susceptibility testing (DST) for each of the high-risk groups as identified in the current TB manual of Zambia.
• MDR TB surveillance- Tracking access to and results of the DST among the following high-risk groups: contacts to MDR TB cases, retreatment TB cases, patients who develop TB on or after IPT and patients who are smear positive at month 2 or above during treatment.
• Supports facilities to conduct TB mortality audits
• Supports quality improvement projects in facilities with performance gaps in liaison with various support staff.
• Compiles monthly, quarterly, annual and ad-hoc reports as required in required formats
• Provides support for all aspects of data collection and reporting by all stakeholders, and help to identify barriers/challenges and work with the DHO and District TB/HIV Coordinator to address these in a timely manner
• Supports drug surveillance and monitoring including submission of pharmacovigilance reports at facility level
• Strengthens entry, referrals and exit screening and coordinates the support of mass screening activities in correctional facilities
• Supports and strengthens Continuity of Care services in correctional facilities
• Ensures Infection, Prevention and control activities are implemented in reference to TB activities in MOD and MOHA facilities.

Qualifications

• Full grade 12 Certificate
• Minimum Diploma in Nursing or Clinical Medical Sciences
• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in the field of TB
• Experience in mentoring and training HCWs at district and provincial level
• Training in adult and paediatric TB and MDR TB is an added advantage.
• Experience with recording, reporting and other monitoring and evaluation activities in TB programming
• Computer literate, with high competency in using Microsoft office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Excellent interpersonal skills and good team spirit