Organization: IRC – International Rescue Committee
Location: Nairobi | wajir | Garissa | Marsabit | Lamu
Grade: Level not specified – Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
Public Health and Health Service
Closing Date: 2025-01-26

Description:

Responding to the most severe humanitarian crises in the world, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) assists those ravaged by conflict and disaster in regaining their health, safety, education, economic well-being, and power. One of the biggest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO) in the world, the IRC was established in 1933 at Albert Einstein’s request. It works in over 40 countries and 29 American cities, assisting people in surviving, taking back control of their future, and fortifying their communities. IRC workers are a force for humanity, giving millions of people their safety, dignity, and hope again, leaving a lasting impression. Join us in improving the lives of millions of people worldwide for a better future if you’re a solutions-focused, fervent change-maker.

Description of the Project

By enhancing capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats—whether they arise naturally, accidentally, or are intentionally spread—the USAID-funded Core Group Partners Project (CGPP) project supports a multi-lateral, multi-sectoral approach to enhancing local and global health security. Building on the interconnectedness of communities, governments, the commercial sector, and civil society, achieving global health security calls for an inclusive and cooperative endeavor. In particular, the work carried out under the Global Health Security Agenda’s auspices is intended to assist member nations in meeting the goals set forth in the International Health Regulations (2005), as determined by Joint External Evaluations. The GHS project’s primary focus is on community involvement and illness surveillance.

As part of its continuing polio efforts, the CGPP project is putting community-based monitoring and community participation into practice. Through a “One Health” approach, the CGPP project in Kenya will coordinate and work with line ministries and important stakeholders to address environmental health, livestock and wildlife health, and more. This new strategy offers the chance to document those anomalous occurrences and report them so that they may be promptly examined and prioritized before they develop into outbreaks or, worse, epidemics.

Four international organizations—World Vision (WV), Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA), Catholic Relief Service (CRS), and International Rescue Committee (IRC)—are working together to implement the CORE Group Partners project in Kenya. These organizations are committed to tackling the threat of infectious diseases by means of community programming in cross-border regions.

Work scope

The One Health Interns will assist with ongoing CGPP projects pertaining to the implementation of One Health programs and Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) for priority zoonotic illnesses and diseases preventable by vaccination. Wajir, Garissa, Nairobi, Turkana, Marsabit, and Lamu

Responsibilities:

• Prepare monthly workplans aligned with IP annual workplan, keep track of planned activities, prepare and submit monthly updates/report to the IPs
• Assist project officer/manager in the implementation of community-based surveillance systems for priority zoonotic diseases and vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Participating in field activities i,e joint support supervision, polio SIA campaigns, data quality audits, training for CMS, health workers/animal health assistants, joint risk assessment for PZDs etc
• Conduct weekly CMs data analysis and submit to the ONA system with support from the project officer
• Assist project officer in preparing project field reports on surveillance findings, and recommendations for improving CBS systems including success
• Assist the project manager/officer to develop the GHS semiannual report, polio project quarterly and annual reports with support from project manager
• Support the project officer to document project success stories and share with secretariat for documentation.
• Participate in the quarterly One Health coordination meetings, Integrated One Health outreaches, Joint One Health supportive supervision, Community dialogues, and training workshops for stakeholders across human health, animal health, and environmental sectors.
• Support community mobilisers in conducting community-based surveillance and verification of alerts for both zoonotic diseases and vaccine-preventable disease.
• Support dissemination of information educational communication (IEC) materials related to disease prevention, vaccination campaigns, and the importance of CBS in disease monitoring.
• Collaborate with local health departments, veterinary services, and environmental agencies to strengthen One Health coordination and surveillance systems at the county level
• Support training of the project community mobilizers on CBS, RCCE, routine immunization, and other One health modules
• Participate in monthly IPs meeting and provide project updates.

Expected Outcome

• By the end of the Internship period, the inters will gain:
• Gain Practical experience on the Community-Based disease Surveillance (CBS) model for zoonotic diseases and vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Improved skills and knowledge of the Interns on One Health approach as implemented by CGPP
• Improved coordination and support to MOH, Veterinary, COHU, CMs and community support One Health activities.
• Exposure to data collection, analysis, and reporting related to infectious disease surveillance and control.
• Hands-on experience in County One Health coordination, working across human, animal, and environmental health sectors to address health threats.
• Enhanced understanding of the interactions between human, animal, and environmental health in the context of disease surveillance and prevention.

Deliverables

• Detailed monthly report capturing implemented activities, achievements, highlighting local solutions to programmatic challenges in the field.
• Strengthened technical support to CMs, ministerial staff including COHU teams.

Travels

The position will entail frequent travels to the project areas in Turkana, Marsabit, Garissa, Lamu, and Wajir.

Qualifications:

The Intern should be:

• A recent graduate of a degree program in Public Health, Veterinary Science, Environmental Health, or related fields.
• Interest or knowledge in zoonotic diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and One Health principles.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills. Fluency in English and Swahili are required. Knowledge of the local language is an added advantage.
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Application Deadline 26th January 2025.