REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT)
New Funding Model 3
Assignment Title: Consultancy to Support the Development of Joint HIV/TB Health Sector Strategic Plan.
Reference No.: GF/CQS/23
The Government of Lesotho has received funding from the Global Fund under the NFM 3 Grant to support interventions intended to fight HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. Part of the proceeds shall be used to support the Ministry of Health to Joint HIV/TB Health Sector Strategic Plan
Background
The Government of Lesotho since 2004 has worked tirelessly to scale up access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care services to all Basotho through a nurse driven service delivery model in public facilities. Over the past 15 years, the HIV response has demonstrated resilience through key shifts in policy, strategy and innovation. Lesotho has consistently adopted guidance that supported local efforts to meet global targets and attain HIV epidemic control in 2020. The successful adoption and implementation of option B+ for the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in 2013, Test and Treat for all in 2016, and differentiated HIV testing services in 2018, coupled with the scale up of improved advanced HIV disease management, differentiated service delivery, ART optimization, HIV drug resistance monitoring and management have been instrumental in propelling the country towards HIV epidemic control.
The adoption of the Test and Treat policy has resulted in significant progress in HIV response as demonstrated by the Lesotho Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA) which revealed that Lesotho has:
- Reduced new HIV infections (incidence) by 50% from approximately 10,000 new infections in 2016 (HIV incidence of 1.1%) to 5,000 new infections (HIV incidence of 0.45%) in 2020.
- Surpassed the Global UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets by 2020! 90% of people living with HIV now know their HIV status, 97% of those who know their HIV status are on life saving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 92% of those on ART are virologically suppressed.
However, despite this progress in the response, new HIV infections remain unacceptably high, with high rates of HIV related stigma, discrimination and inequalities remaining prevalent especially among young people, women and key populations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed and compounded these inequalities, threatening the gains made in the HIV response in Lesotho.
Therefore, in line with the Global AIDS strategy 2021-26 and continuing all possible efforts to END AIDS as public health threat by 2030, the Ministry of Health Lesotho will be developing a 5-year joint HIV/TB health sector strategic plan 2023/28. The strategic focus of this plan will be, but not limited to;
- Prevention and reduction of new HIV infections; by deploying a comprehensive mix of HIV prevention interventions.
- Improving HIV case identification, linkage, retention and psychosocial support among all ages groups and sub-populations in all geographic locations.
- Improve differentiated HIV service delivery and advanced HIV disease management.
- Integrate management of communicable/non-communicable diseases such hypertension, diabetes, cancers, TB, STI and Mental Health services into the HIV program.
- HIV response health sector sustainability planning, programming and implementation.
- The aim of the assignment is to develop the HIV component of the Joint HIV/TB Health Sector Strategic Plan 2023 – 2028 (JHTHSP).
- The Ministry of Health now invites eligible Consultants to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested Consultants should write an Expression of Interest (EOI) letter (Cover Letter) to commit the appropriate days of man time to the activity as outlined in the table below. In the EOI letter, Consultants must use the applicable reference number as outlined in the table below and detail relevant past assignments related to this activity, indicate who the employer/client was and when the activity was undertaken. Consultants should also attach their Curriculum Vitae (CV) to demonstrate qualifications, overall experience, and functional capabilities.
| Reference | Item | Duration (Days) | Shortlisting Criteria |
| GF/CQS/23-01 | Costing Consultant | 30 | in finance, economics, public health or other relevant field at a recognized university.Demonstrate extensive experience and knowledge in the area of health financing/costing for HIV programming.Demonstrated experience of strategic planning processes especially for HIV or other health related issues. |
| GF/CQS/23-02 | HIV Lead Consultant | 42 | Master’s degree in medicine, public health or any other health science related masters. Minimum of 10 years of working experience in HIV/AIDS with demonstrated knowledge of the, local and global response.Minimum of 10 years working experience in HIV testing programming.Proven experience undertaking a similar assignment (development of national HIV strategic documents) in the region. Experience working with key and vulnerable populations and people living or affected by HIV will be an added advantage.Research experience in the HIV testing field will be an added advantage.Expert knowledge on HIV testing service areas, including index testing, assisted partner notification, community level testing, self-testing. |
| GF/CQS/23-03 | HIV Prevention | 42 | Advanced degree in medicine, public health, health economics, health policy, strategy or any other relevant field. At least 10 years of working experience in HIV/AIDS with demonstrated knowledge of the, local and global response.Proven experience undertaking a similar assignment (development of national HIV strategic documents) in the region. Sound understanding of the HIV/AIDS response and dynamics of HIV prevention and transmission, in Lesotho and Southern Africa.Demonstrated experience organizing and facilitating stakeholder consultations.Sound understanding of human rights and gender approaches to the HIV response.Expert knowledge on HIV prevention areas, including programs reaching adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), men and key populations (KP), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), condom programming, HIV testing services (HTS), social behavioral change communication (SBCC) and elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT). |
| GF/CQS/23-04 | HIV Testing Services Consultant | 42 | Master’s degree in medicine, public health or any other health science related masters. Minimum of 10 years of working experience in HIV/AIDS with demonstrated knowledge of the, local and global response. Minimum of 10 years working experience in HIV testing programming. Proven experience undertaking a similar assignment (development of national HIV strategic documents) in the region. Experience working with key and vulnerable populations and people living or affected by HIV will be an added advantage. Demonstrated experience organizing and facilitating stakeholder consultations. Experience in leading or being a major contributor to the writing of HIV related programme documents under tight deadlines. Expert knowledge on HIV testing service areas, including index testing, assisted partner notification, community level testing, self-testing. |
| GF/CQS/23-05 | HIV Treatment and Care | 42 | Master’s degree in medicine, public health or any other health science related masters. Minimum of 10 years of working experience in HIV/AIDS with demonstrated knowledge of the, local and global response. Minimum of 10 years working experience as HIV Clinician or in HIV Care and treatment programmes. Experience in managing HIV care and treatment programs including planning, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluation as well as reporting. Proven experience undertaking a similar assignment (development of national HIV strategic documents) in the region. Experience working with key and vulnerable populations and people living or affected by HIV will be an added advantage. Sound understanding of human rights and gender approaches to the HIV response. Expert knowledge on HIV treatment and care areas, including programs reaching children, adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), men and key populations (KP), Differentiated HIV service delivery, Advanced HIV Disease. Expert knowledge on STI programming will be an added advantage. |
| GF/CQS/23-06 | M&E Consultant | 30 | Minimum post-graduate qualifications Masters in; Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Public Health, or similar qualifications at a recognized university.Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the development M & E frameworks for government or large donor funded programmes/ operational plansDemonstrate extensive experience and knowledge in the area of M&E for HIV programming.Demonstrated advanced skills in quantitative data analysis using STRATA, R-package, Excel, SPSS or equivalentDemonstrated experience of strategic planning processes especially for HIV or other health related issues.Excellent communication, interpersonal skills with ability to express ideas clearly, logically and effectively, both orally and in writing |
- The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant Qualification Selection Method (CQS).
- Further information and Clarifications can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1630 hours. Detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) Document are available for free download on this link https://www.mofpmu.org.ls/call-for-expression-of-interests/
- Posting Period 17th February 2023 to 3rd March 2023
- Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by e-mail) by 16:30 3rd March 2023
Ministry of Health
Procurement Unit
Corner Constitutional and Linare Road
Attn: Mr. Ntelo
P.O. Box 514
Maseru 100
Tel: (+266) 2232 8957
E-mail: [email protected]