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And we never give up.
For every child, health
Background
21 million women give birth every year in the region. An unacceptable number of these pregnancies end up in a neonatal death (# 585,720; 3.1%) or in a stillbirth (n# 633.930; 3.2%). Altogether one pregnant woman out of 16 will not have a live baby by the 28th day after delivery and an unknown proportion will have a handicapped child due to pregnancy and childbirth complications.
Newborn mortality and stillbirths have been a neglected tragedy in sub-Saharan Africa during the MDG era. Although causes of neonatal mortality and stillbirths are, for most, related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth, neonatal mortality did not receive much attention. But not all pregnancies end up with a live baby at birth. The Stillbirth Rate (deaths of a foetus weighting ≥1000 g birthweight or ≥28 weeks of gestation per 1,000 total births) is as high in WCAR as the neonatal mortality rate (#32/1,000 TB). Antepartum stillbirth may be caused by numerous conditions affecting the mother (hypertension, malaria, syphilis, urinary tract infections, malnutrition, etc.) of which adverse outcomes result from poor follow up and care during pregnancy, including poor quality of ANC visits. Intrapartum stillbirth (death occurring after the onset of labor but before birth) reflects directly the poor quality of care during childbirth.
Provision and experience of care for mothers and newborns (ANC, delivery, postpartum care) are actually very poor in the region as demonstrated by the seemingly absence of link between MMR, NNMR and the utilization of ANC and the rate of institutionalized delivery.
UNICEF has been a leading agency in drawing attention to the high neonatal mortality rates, contributing to approximately 35-40% of all Under 5 deaths in our region, to the high stillbirths rates and in advocating for countries to tackle this dramatic situation by developing policies and strategies to improve newborn health, whether it be a stand-alone plan (Every Newborn Action Plan) or interventions integrated into broader RMNCAH strategies.
The “Every Newborn Vision” is “A world in which there are no preventable deaths of newborns and stillbirths, where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth celebrated and women, babies and children survive, thrive and reach their full potential”.
The goals set up at global level are to reduce the current NNMR to 15 NN deaths/1,000 live births by 2020, to 12 by 2030 and the stillbirths’ rates to 14 SB/1,000 total births by 2020, 12 by 2030.
Most countries in Western and Central Africa have a long way to go to achieve these goals but they are achievable in many countries if evidence-based interventions are implemented at scale.
UNICEF Regional Office for Western and Central Africa (WCAR0) is advocating and supporting countries to develop NNH policies and strategies towards these ambitious goals.
How can you make a difference?
Objectives
- Review the neonatal health policies and strategies in the 24 WCAR countries with the goal to identify the gaps compared to the global ENAP and WCARO NNH strategy
- Develop NNH country profiles
- Establish a regional dashboard to track the progress in the development and implementation of NNH interventions
- Develop a regional annual report on NNH for 2018
- Support the preparation of the 2019 Inter-Agency Forum on Maternal and New-born Health
Scope of work
The below steps are suggested for the completion of the consultancy and the identified deliverables:
Step 1: NNH regional and country profiles
- Review and analyse the data, policies and strategies of the 24 WCAR countries
- Identify the programmatic gaps as well as missing data and information
- Develop country profiles for the 24 countries
- Develop a regional annual report on NNH for 2018 and identify steps for the following annual reports
Step 2: Set-up a monitoring mechanism of neonatal health in the region
- Develop a monitoring system for the region and countries with a regional progress tracking dashboard (MNH);
- Monitor and analyse the informing of the ENAP Tracking Tool by countries to achieve an annual 100% rate
Step 3: 2019 Inter-Agency Forum on Maternal and Neonatal Health
- Based on the wok performed in the steps above, prepare the documents to be shared with participants
- Support the development of the agenda and content of the forum
Coordinate and write the forum’s report
Deliverables and Schedules
The following deliverables will be expected:
- Deliverable 1: templates of the country profiles and table of contents of the annual report
- Deliverable 2: consolidated country profiles of the 8 WCAR priority ENAP countries
- Deliverable 3: consolidated country profiles of the 16 WCAR non ENAP priority countries
- Deliverable 4: consolidated 2018 annual report on NNH including the country profiles and regional analysis of data, policies and strategies
- Deliverable 5: Functioning regional dashboard for monitoring progress of NNH
- Deliverable 6: validated concept note, agenda and other documents for the Forum; full validated report
Timing
The consultancy is schedule for a six-month period (130 effective working days) and will be organized along three phases.
Deliverables
Timeframe
% budget
Phase 1
– Development of the templates of the country profiles.
– Methodology to inform the country profiles and the report
– Table of contents of the 2018 annual report (deliverable 1)
15 days
20%
Phase 2
– consolidated country profiles of the 8 WCAR priority ENAP countries (deliverable 2)
15 days
10%
Phase 3
– consolidated country profiles of the 16 WCAR priority ENAP countries (deliverable 3)
30 days
10%
Phase 4
– Consolidated 2018 report on NNH including the in-depths analysis and country profiles (deliverable 4)
30 days
20%
Phase 5
Monitoring system for the region and countries with a regional progress tracking dashboard (Deliverable 5)
30 days
20%
Phase 6
Concept Note and agenda of the forum and availability of printed background documents; final forum’s report (Deliverables 6)
10 days
20%
Total of effective working days
130 days
100%
Reporting Requirements
Regular exchanges with the UNICEF WCAR0 supervisor and the Health Section’s team will be organized. Their review of progress and acceptance of orientation are requested at all stages of the consultancy.
Supervisor and frequency of performance reviews:
– Senior Health Specialist MNH, UNICEF WCARO
– Performance review will be discussed every week with the supervisor, upon needs and requests with the Section’s Chief and whenever it is needed or required by the consultant and or supervisor.
The consultancy will be conducted both in French and English, but the deliverables are expected to be submitted electronically in the English language.
Administrative Issues
- UNICEF will support the consultant in carrying out the duties outlined above, including but not limited to all background documents on the programme.
- The consultancy will be carried out through a six-month period, and 130 effective working days (full-time).
- The consultant will have to send to UNICEF his/her certificates (Basic Security in the Field and Advanced Security in the Field), Designation of Beneficiary and proof of insurance prior to the date which he/she shall commence travel.
- The consultant will be provided with an office space within UNICEF WCARO but may work from home depending on the needs identified by the supervisor and with agreement of the consultant.
- The consultant is expected to use her/his own laptop.
The list of country office focal points will be provided to the consultant to facilitate exchanges with countries when needed
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Specific competencies, qualifications and experience required of the contracted consultant:
- At least, Master’s in Public Health, Epidemiology or a related field;
- At least five years’ experience in public health issues in developing countries;
- Experience in data collection and analysis techniques in the public health sector;
- Strong analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions, make recommendations and prepare well-written reports;
- Scientific and practical knowledge of maternal and neonatal health in West and Central Africa is required;
- Understanding of institutional mandates and operations of UNICEF preferred;
Prior experience of working in the Western and Central Africa region is required.
For every Child, you demonstrate save lives
UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The technical competencies required for this post are….
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
“UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.”
Remarks:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.
More Information
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