: USAID/RDMA
: Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
: 645
: 11 October 2024
27 October 2024
Please visit https://th.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/RFI-486-24-PMI-CCNPSC-Senior-Regional-Malaria-Advisor_signed.pdf. to submit your interest.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. NOTICE NO.: RFI-486-24-PMI
2. ISSUANCE DATE: October 11, 2024
3. CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: October 27, 2024, at 11:59 PM Bangkok Time
4. POINT OF CONTACT: RDMArecruitment@usaid.gov
5. POSITION TITLE: Senior Regional Malaria Advisor
6. MARKET VALUE: THB 1,927,889 – THB 3,373,801 per annum equivalent to FSN-12 in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/RDMA. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
7. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Five (5) years initial contract. The services provided under this contract are expected to be of a continuing nature that will be executed by USAID through a series of sequential contracts, subject to continued need of the position and availability of funds.
8. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The United States Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), Bangkok, Thailand with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties.
9. ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: This position is opened to Cooperating Country National (CCN). Thai citizen or other country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent Thai residence is eligible to apply. Please note that USAID is not able to sponsor offerors for a Thai residency permit.
10. SECURITY LEVEL REQUIRED: The successful candidate shall be required to obtain a Security Certification for Employment from Regional Security Office.
11. STATEMENT OF DUTIES
A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) manages regional initiatives in Asia and assists neighboring countries in developing high-impact programs and strengthening human capacity. RDMA’s Office of Public Health (OPH) has the responsibility for designing, managing, and overseeing infectious disease programs such as Presidential Initiatives on Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and also programs on avian influenza, other public health threats and emerging infections throughout the Mekong Region and other parts of Asia and the Pacific. The primary focus for OPH is the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) - Burma, Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Through RDMA’s assistance, innovative technical public health models and approaches are developed, documented and evaluated for replication by governments and other donors. RDMA staff and partners work especially closely with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM – the Global Fund) to leverage resources to scale up the models and ensure quality assurance and containment strategies. Particular attention is given to cross border cooperation on surveillance, strengthening health systems and drug quality improvement. In addition, RDMA provides technical assistance to strengthen national and regional institutions and networks such as ASEAN and to enhance the capacity of member country governments and civil society, fostering increased political will and commitment to limit the spread of infectious diseases.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to approximately 60% of the world’s population and bears a heavy disease burden of malaria, dengue fever, emerging animal-to-human diseases, and HIV/AIDS. Drug resistance is of growing concern in part due to the amount of low-quality and counterfeit drugs both produced and distributed in the region. Of particular concern is the spread of drug-resistant malaria within the Mekong region particularly on the border areas between China, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia indicating inefficacy of artemisinin – currently, the preferred drug of choice around the world.
Launched in 2005, U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), led by USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aims to eradicate malaria by supporting prevention and treatment measures such as Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies (ACTs), and Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Pregnant Women (IPTp). PMI’s 2021–2026 strategy, "End Malaria Faster,"
targets a 33% reduction in malaria mortality and a 40% reduction in morbidity from 2015 levels, with a focus on eliminating malaria in partner countries. PMI supports 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and three in Southeast Asia, working towards saving lives, reducing health inequities, and enhancing disease surveillance. Thailand and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) began their collaboration with the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in FY 2011.
In Thailand, malaria cases have decreased significantly since 2011, with over a 95% drop in Plasmodium falciparum cases. However, recent increases, especially along the Thai-Burma border, threaten the goal of eliminating malaria in the near future in Thailand. A renewed focus on addressing these outbreaks and preventing the re-establishment of malaria in previously cleared areas is a critical priority. Lao PDR has also reduced malaria cases by 75% in recent years and aims to eliminate malaria by 2030. Through the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) RDMA/OPH implementing partners to contain and eventually eliminate drug resistant malaria in the sub-region. A significant part of the program involves the use of strategic information, including monitoring drug quality and resistance and creating a common monitoring and evaluation framework to track the disease and containment efforts across the region. OPH’s programs assist community mobilization for containment and elimination, and facilitate transnational collaboration among Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) countries. Program activities include enabling appropriate practices and behaviors for prevention of drug-resistant malaria including compliance with treatment.
The current solicitation calls for a senior expert on malaria prevention and control for the Mission to provide technical, management, and policy advisory services to RDMA and to USAID Missions in the region. The incumbent will serve as the senior advisor on trends and developments around malaria to RDMA and other USAID Missions and U.S. Embassies in the region and assist with identifying opportunities for collaboration with host governments, civil society, the private sector and other donors. As and when required, the expert would also be called upon to provide technical oversight on other RDMA infectious and vector borne disease programs such as dengue and other public health threats.
B. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
BASIC FUNCTIONS
The incumbent will provide expert-level technical, management, and policy advisory services to the Office of Public Health on epidemiological analysis, prevention, and treatment of malaria. They will specifically guide the design and evaluation of strategies for containing and eliminating drug-resistant malaria. They will collaborate with USAID missions, infectious disease experts in Washington, implementing partners, and other donors to develop programs and leverage resources to address critical needs for malaria control in the region. The incumbent is expected to mentor and supervise U.S. and Foreign Service National (FSN) personnel within OPH. They will lead the team responsible for malaria programs, supervising at least one senior FSN project management specialist and potentially indirectly supervising 1- 2 program management assistants.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The incumbent will be expected to assume a leadership role across several critical areas, including problem analysis, strategic planning, budgeting, program design and management, and networking with donors, foundations, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They will provide technical assistance to countries, U.S. Embassies, and host country governments. As the Senior Regional Malaria Advisor, they will oversee the planning, implementation, and monitoring of USAID's malaria program activities in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). This position involves liaising with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Global Fund, the World Health Organization (WHO), and regularly consulting with key personnel in USAID/Washington who work on the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). The Advisor will represent USAID to national malaria control programs in the region and contribute to efforts aimed at building capacity within national programs, Ministries of Health, and related sectors. They will also represent USAID and the U.S. Government in national and international technical and policy forums, acting as a spokesperson on malaria control and elimination.
Under the supervision of the OPH Deputy Director or their designee, the Senior Regional Malaria Advisor will provide leadership and guidance in several areas. They will develop and implement the PMI/RDMA malaria program strategy in alignment with USAID objectives, focusing on strengthening surveillance, facilitating cross-border cooperation, behavior change communications, enhancing laboratory networks, advocating for policy changes, and creating innovative models for addressing drug-resistant malaria. They will offer planning, programming, and budgetary advice for malaria, dengue, and other infectious diseases to RDMA/OPH, U.S. Embassies, USAID missions in the Asia-Pacific region, and implementing partners, consulting with relevant USAID technical staff as needed. This role includes assisting countries with planning, accessing technical and financial resources such as GFATM and private foundations, and participating in assessments and program monitoring.
The Advisor will establish and maintain effective working relationships with organizations such as CDC, the State Department, the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, the Department of Defense, WHO, GFATM, Roll Back Malaria, the Asia-Pacific Dengue Partnership, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and other active development agencies in the region. They will stay informed about the latest methods, approaches, and protocols, facilitating connections to research, integrated disease surveillance and response, epidemiological analyses, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, socio-economic developments, host country policies, and donor assistance.
The Advisor will identify regional opportunities and propose program activities that complement ongoing efforts while leveraging additional funding from U.S. Government and private sector sources. They will provide advisory support to Mission leadership, conduct briefings as needed, support VIP visits, and participate in key strategic discussions. Collaboration with other health programs at RDMA and USAID/Washington will be essential to integrate malaria activities into broader health programs, ensuring coordination with other donors and Ministries of Health to avoid duplication and programming gaps.
The Advisor will provide technical and managerial oversight to partners during the implementation of malaria programs, ensuring the quality of interventions and the achievement of programmatic targets, including guidance on monitoring and evaluation. They will ensure compliance with USAID legal and reporting requirements, assisting implementing agencies in setting up effective reporting and tracking systems to provide accurate and timely information. Finally, the Advisor will represent RDMA and USAID/Washington at selected international and regional meetings on malaria and other infectious disease topics.
13. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.
II. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION
1. Education: Master’s degree required, with a specialization in one of the following areas and knowledge of the others: medicine, veterinary science, public health, epidemiology, or a related field.
2. Experience: Twelve years of professional experience managing and implementing public health programs in developing countries with at least seven years of experience in providing technical oversight, managing, designing and implementing infectious diseases programs in international or resource poor settings.
3. Language: Level IV – Fluent in Thai and English with a valid TOEIC score of 855 is required.
III. TO SUBMIT YOUR INTEREST
Learn more about the position and how to submit interest here: https://th.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/RFI-486-24-PMI-CCNPSC-Senior-Regional-Malaria-Advisor_signed.pdf
