Overview:
Rationale: With support from the Global fund (GF) Jhpiego in collaboration with the MOH will be Implementing a two years and nine months multi-sectoral partnership response project aimed at stepping up universal access to HIV and TB prevention, care and treatment programs in the 10 districts, namely: Leribe, Berea, Maseru, Mafeteng and Mohale’s Hoek, Butha-Buthe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing.
The project funded by Global Fund through the Government Principal Recipient (PR), Project Management Unit (PMU). This is to intensify a systematic search for TB individuals who would not present to a health facility and bringing them into care. The focus is on improving early TB case detection by reducing delays in presentation to a health facility and reducing TB transmission in the community, in schools, prisons and at the work place. Working closely with the health facility management and the Village Health Workers under the health facility catchment area, the TB Contact Tracers will obtain a list and particulars of confirmed TB cases from DOT providers at TB clinic, Lesotho Correctional Services Institutions for inmates and from the Mineworkers unions for miners, ex-miners and peri-mining community. With assistance of an index case, the TB Contact Tracers shall screen all contacts, collect, on daily basis, sputum samples from all clients with presumptive signs of TB and ensure that the sputums reach the laboratories for sputum analysis. They will also list all contacts with signs and symptoms, provide referral to all presumptive TB cases for diagnosis and follow up sputum examination results for ensuring that all confirmed TB cases have initiated TB treatment.
The Contact Tracers will work closely with the TB Contact Tracers Supervisors, MOH TB Coordinators and/or officers and MOH facility based TB Screeners and Village Health Workers, to trace confirmed TB cases and conduct TB contact tracing in all the 10 districts at household, community level, in schools, and in prisons. The TB Contact Tracers report to health facility and the TB District Supervisors.
Responsibilities
• Tracing all confirmed TB cases and conducting contact tracing to all of their family members and other relevant contacts in the villages, schools, prisons and work closely with mineworkers unions to identify presumptive TB cases and eligible miners, ex miners and peri-mining communities to put on treatment.
• Collect, on daily basis, sputum samples from all clients (children, inmates, mines and ex-miners) with presumptive signs of TB and ensuring that the sputums reach the laboratories for sputum analysis.
• Support the annual TB screening for miners, ex-miners and inmates using mobile x-ray vans and using GeneXpert machines.
• Follow up sputum results (positive or negative) from the laboratories to ensure that all clients received their results
• Follow up clients who are confirmed to have TB, to ensure they are linked to care and treatment.
• Working closely with the respective Village Health Workers, ensure that TB clients take and complete their TB treatment and adhere to the given TB care and support.
• Support documenting and reporting accurate data for children, inmates, mines and ex-miners and share such information with the health facility and the TB Contact Tracers supervisors.
• Participate in the health centre monthly meetings with the VHWs under the catchment area.
Qualifications, Experience and Requirements
• Required qualification is a pass in COSC/LGCSE
• Experience working in public health programs in Lesotho.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in both Sesotho and in English. treatment.
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Ability and willingness to travel around Lesotho and in remote and hard to reach areas both on foot and/or on horseback where needed.
Should reside in any of the 10 districts: Berea, Leribe, Maseru, Mafeteng and Mohales Hoek, Butha-Buthe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing.
Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package and It is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation. Correspondence will be communicated with shortlisted candidates only.
Interested candidates should submit application letter, CVs, certified copies of ID/Passport, certificates and transcripts, two letters of references to the relevant District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) or to Jhpiego email address: [email protected] by 12 noon on Friday 27th August 2021.