Mobile Implementation Officer (Mio) Infection Prevention And Control At Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières, founded in 1971, is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of medical professionals, logistics, administrative and various other professions, all guided by our medical ethics and our principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.

MSF WaCA, created in 2019, is the first MSF headquarters in Africa, and responds to the desire to reinvent the MSF movement after 50 years of humanitarian actions in the world, for more access to care, more reactivity and proactivity for greater medical coverage of affected populations in the world.

Why join us?

You are preparing to become a member of the MSF family, with over 50 years of emergency medical action that earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

We are an inclusive organization that considers social and professional well-being a right for all and provides an environment that takes into account the diversity of each member.

MSF WaCA claims an African anchorage that considers the local expertise with which it contributes in the implementation of its activities and makes each member, a key actor of the new dynamics of the humanitarian action in the world.

We Are Looking for: MOBILE IMPLEMENTATION OFFICER (MIO) INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Department: Medical

Direct Manager: Health Quality Improvement Manager

Working %: 100%
Position Based in: Abidjan

Mobility: 80% on Field , 20% on HQ office

Type of Contract: Fixed-Term Renewable

Position to be filled: As Soon As Possible

Objectives

A MIO IPC in healthcare is a health care professional responsible for the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities, leads the development maintenance of an infection control program, according to MSF protocols and standards in order to ensure the quality of care and safety of patients, caretakers and staff, and works to identify IPC problems, finding solutions, and measuring outcomes, he/she will coordinate all IPC initiatives across the organization, and developing IPC Program, operational policy and procedures, process for improvements and promote healthcare.

MIO IPC workers focus on IPC and healthcare initiatives that drive major changes in healthcare improvements within the healthcare sector.

MIO IPC reflects MSF goal to improve IPC of health and healthcare through the three following aims: access to care, better care, and healthy people and communities. That goal is met through improving patient engagement, clinical workflows of healthcare workers, and use of mobile technology integration in the healthcare system. Your work is done in collaboration with each service activity manager, using some existing tools (guidelines, checklists, audit forms and training). You will provide technical IPC supervision and guidance to all field staff members, with a particular focus on activities such as: solid waste and medical waste management, sterilization and laundry management, latrines and shower facilities, HAIs control. You will also develop multimodal strategies to improve IPC in MSF’s facilities. Examples may include initiating system change. organizing training, conducting performance monitoring, and giving feedback to promote a stepwise IPC improvement approach, working with medical staff, Patients, communities and tailored to the local context.

Main responsibilities / Activities

Participate in departmental, or hospital risk, safety, quality, and IPC committee meetings.
In collaboration with medical staff, service activity manager, ensuring and maintaining the implementation of the standard precautions in health structures in all departments including sterilization, laundry and kitchen and providing technical supervision and expertise, support, training and guidance to the staff on IPC related issues using existing tools such as audits, checklist, surveillance, and developing training plan and materials as required.
Participating in the definition of the IPC objectives and in collaboration with the IPC committee, defining, implementing and monitoring the IPC annual plan Based on a Stepwise Infection Prevention and Control Approach (SIPCA) assessment (together with the IPC supervisor)
Setting up regular monitoring mechanisms for IPC activities, analysing the results, identifying priorities and proposing solutions when necessary. Establishing, maintaining and improving surveillance systems for health care associated infections in the facility. Participating and contributing to the elaboration of the contingency plan and EPREP regarding the IPC aspects depending on context and possible scenarios
In collaboration with each service activity manager, ensuring and maintaining the implementation of the standard precautions and transmission-based precautions in health structures in all departments including sterilization, laundry, kitchen, hygiene agents and providing technical supervision and expertise, support, training and guidance to the staff on IPC related issues using existing tools such as audits, checklist, surveillance, etc. and developing training plan and materials as required.
Setting up mechanisms for the implementation and monitoring of the adherence to additional precautions for air, droplet and contact transmissible diseases when indicated, adapting general guidelines to the health facility realities, putting isolation algorithms in place and ensuring adequate nosocomial outbreak detection and response.
Designing and ensuring the implementation of correct ‘clean and dirty flows’ inside the health facility. Ensuring that the environmental standards in the facility are respected and together with the Hospital Facilities Manager and WHS Supervisor, that the essential requirements are available in the health structures.
Guaranteeing compliance to aseptic care techniques and to the correct use of antiseptics, disinfectants, and detergents.
Provide support to the project regarding IPC aspects when AMR strategy is applied in projects, together with the other two pillars: Antibiotic Microbial Stewardship and/or Microbiology.
Planning and supervising, with the support of HR department, the associated HR processes (recruitment, training/induction, evaluation, potential detection, motivation, development, and internal communication) of the staff in the project under his/her responsibility, in order to ensure having the appropriate team in terms of size, capabilities and skills.
Reporting any irregularities to the Project Medical Reference (PMR) in addition to Nursing activity Manager (NAM), Medical Activity Manager (MAM), supervisors… and proposes immediate actions when necessary.
Producing reports with information and recommendations for the monthly medical reporting. Follow up and consolidates data from different departments.

Note: IPC standard precautions include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, prevention of accidental exposure to body fluids, safe and appropriate treatment of re-usable medical devices, waste management, cleaning and disinfection of surface and environment, respiratory hygiene and individual hygiene for staff, caretakers and patients IPC essential requirements include water supply, solid waste and waste water treatment/disposal, latrines and shower facilities, dead bodies management, vector control and medical waste management.

Transmission-based Precautions (TBP): are the second level of basic infection control and are to be used in addition to standard precautions for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents for which additional precautions are needed to prevent infection transmission (contact, droplet, airborne).

Job requirements

Education / Qualification / Pre-requisites

Bachelor’s degree in health Sciences (Registered nurse, midwife or medical doctor) or Health-related field. Master’s preferred.
Master’s Degree/Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control is highly preferred.

Soft Skills

Good Strategic Vision skills;
Communication skills
Good Leadership skills;
Strong People Management and Development skills;
Strong Service Orientation skills;
High level skills in Teamwork and Cooperation.

Professional experience required

· At least (5) years of healthcare experience with clinical practical knowledge in hospital setting as Medical or paramedical.
At least (2) years of experience as IPC Manager in MSF or other NGOs in at least 2 different contexts (especially if in low resources settings).
Experience as a trainer in infection prevention and control is preferred.
Skills in rapid assessment techniques, knowledge, and experience in monitoring facility and community-based infection prevention and control interventions.
Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGO’s in developing countries.

Languages Skills

Fluency required in either English or French and the candidate must be able to communicate professionally in the other.

Computer Skills

MS Office suite (mainly MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint)

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MSF offers equal recruitment and development opportunities without any form of discrimination based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographical origin, physical disability or any other discriminatory ground.

Female candidates who meet the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

N.B.: This job description provides a framework for the main responsibilities and primary activities of the position. It is not exhaustive. Therefore, the responsibilities and activities of the position may differ from those described in this job description due to organizational and operational needs.

Deadline: February 20st 2024 18:00 GMT
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted