National Professional Officer

The National Professional Officer will provide technical support to the Ministry of Health of Kyrgyzstan in infectious hazard management, focusing on influenza prevention and control, pandemic preparedness, surveillance, response to high threat pathogens, and laboratory system strengthening under the Better Labs for Better Health initiative.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health in strengthening national systems to prevent and control influenza and other respiratory viruses
• Provide technical advice and support on improving surveillance systems for influenza and other respiratory viruses
• Support activities related to strengthening seasonal influenza vaccination programmes
• Support implementation of guidelines and training programs for outbreak investigation, response, and clinical management of severe respiratory infections
• Support continuous updating and testing of the national influenza/respiratory pandemic preparedness plan and associated guidelines
• Support implementation of the national laboratory policy, strategy and action plans under the Better Labs for Better Health initiative
• Support coordination of activities by the national Coordination Council on Laboratory including facilitation of working group sessions, meetings and trainings
• Provide input to further developments of the laboratory system
• Provide input to advocacy products related to the duties
• Perform other duties as required

Requirements

• First university degree in medicine, biological sciences or related area
• Post graduate degree in public health, epidemiology or laboratory science is desirable
• Additional academic specialisation in communicable diseases, biological sciences or equivalent professional qualification is desirable
• At least two years of relevant work experience in communicable diseases prevention and control, including surveillance, and/or laboratory programmes/projects
• Experience with working for WHO or other international organizations is desirable
• Experience implementing laboratory quality management systems is desirable
• Knowledge of epidemiology
• Knowledge of laboratory quality
• Expert knowledge of English
• Intermediate knowledge of Kyrgyz language
• Expert knowledge of Russian

Skills

• Communicable Diseases Prevention
• Disease Surveillance
• Laboratory Programmes Management
• Laboratory Quality Management System
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Hazard Management
• Epidemic Preparedness
• Influenza Prevention and Control
• Laboratory System Strengthening
• Technical Support to Health Ministry
• Public Health
• Laboratory Science
• Quality Management
• English
• Russian
• Kyrgyz

Languages

English, Kyrgyz, Russian