JOB DESCRIPTION
I. Context and Rationale
Over the past ten years, the country has experienced outbreaks of measles epidemics, the largest of which was that of 2014. Chad is currently experiencing a measles epidemic which began in April 2018. In 2022, the number of districts having experienced a confirmed outbreak is 13 at week 48 despite the recent campaign conducted in January and March 2021. Data analysis shows that 79% of cases are under 10 years old and 47% are under 5 years old. Despite achieving performance indicators in the 4th quarter of the year, quality remains insufficient. This epidemic continued into 2023, and as of week 42 of 2023, 9,932 suspected cases of measles have been reported since the start of 2023 in 144 districts out of 150, or 96% of the districts. 74 districts had an epidemic confirmed by the laboratory in 2023. Faced with these epidemics, targeted responses were organized in 2023. The national monitoring campaign planned for the end of 2023 was organized in 85 districts. The other districts will organize it in January February 2024.
Chad did not experience major outbreaks of yellow fever until 2009, but since then outbreaks have been reported in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020 and 2021. Cases are mainly imported from Sudan or other neighboring countries such as the CAR for the case of the recent epidemic. The year 2021 was marked by the occurrence of a yellow fever epidemic in Chad coinciding with epidemics in border countries (CAR and Cameroon). In total, 11,606 suspected cases of yellow fever were reported between H1-2021 and H29-2022, distributed in 116 districts with 70 deaths recorded, representing a lethality of 4.5%. No confirmed cases in 2023 (week 42). Activities to combat yellow fever were carried out between 2021 and 2022. A first response of a reactive mass vaccination campaign in January 2022 in all 8 targeted districts. Chad plans to organize a vaccination campaign against yellow fever across the entire territory in two blocks (February and October 2024). This national campaign will concern people aged 9 months to 60 years and over and all 151 health districts in the 23 provinces of Chad. It will be organized in two blocks according to the epidemiological situation and geographical distribution and in order to facilitate quality implementation given the extent of the national territory.
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On the demand side, the reasons for non-vaccination are operational and social. Indeed, the implementation of social and behavioral change activities in support of vaccination shows that despite the efforts made, the results remain mixed. The evaluation of the 2021 EPI PAO highlighted (i) a low rate of completion of communication activities (10%), (ii) low adherence of the population to routine EPI activities (42%), ( iii) poor monitoring of communication activities, (iv) insufficiency in the coordination, implementation and monitoring of planned communication activities and (v) absence of leadership in the Communication and Advocacy Section of the EPI. While efforts have been made to increase the level of information among parents during AVS, challenges persist in increasing demand and use of routine vaccination services.
Faced with these challenges, the social and behavioral change section has developed these TORs for the recruitment of one (1) International Social and Behavioral Change Immunization Consultant. This Consultant will contribute to optimizing
UNICEF support to the Expanded Program on Immunization for planning, implementing, monitoring and documenting effective social and behavior change strategies for demand generation for immunization. He will play a key role in technical, operational and strategic support to the EPI, working in close collaboration with provincial health delegations, implementing partners and local stakeholders.
II. Objectives of the consultation
The objectives of the consultancy are:
- Provide technical and operational expertise in social and behavioral change to the decentralized structures of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the design, execution, monitoring and evaluation of CSC interventions aimed at strengthening demand and use of vaccination services.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of social and behavioral change strategies aimed at promoting polio vaccination, by identifying priority needs, opportunities for innovation and effective approaches.
- Support advocacy, networking and the creation of partnerships in favor of vaccination.
- Strengthen coordination and collaboration with EPI partners, local actors and relevant stakeholders, to maximize the impact of vaccination interventions and ensure a holistic and integrated approach.
- Contribute to evaluation and operational research related to the demand for vaccination, with a view to identifying best practices, evaluating the impact of interventions and making recommendations for continuous improvement of the program.
- Strengthen the capacities of consultants and partners in SBC;
- Contribute to the quality of reporting of communication activities.
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III. Responsibilities/Methodology
The Consultant will provide technical and operational support for the planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of evidence-based CSC strategies contributing to improving the demand for immunization services with a particular emphasis on polio vaccination. . He/She will ensure the full participation of government partners, communities and civil society in order to obtain concrete and sustainable results that will help increase the immunity of children and protect them against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Specifically, the Consultant must:
- Support the design and implementation of the Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) strategy/activities aimed at strengthening demand and use of vaccination services.
- Conduct research and/or participate in carrying out a comprehensive situation analysis on social and behavioral change for vaccination. Collect and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information and data to support the generation of comprehensive and factual information for the development and planning of SCC strategies for immunization.
- Provide technical support to (i) the implementation of strategies to reduce the number of zero-dose children (ii) the organization of vaccination campaigns against polio and yellow fever (iii) the organization of monitoring campaigns measles; (iv) Introduction of Rota and PCV, (v) introduction of the anti-malaria vaccine and (vi) the development of the new National Vaccination Strategy, (vi) the plan for the introduction of the COVID 19 vaccine into the EPI of routine as well as (vii) the strategic plan for social and behavioral change in favor of vaccination.
- Support the technical structures of the Ministry of Public Health and the CSC section of UNICEF in the design, execution, monitoring and evaluation of Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) interventions aimed at strengthening demand and use of vaccination services.
- In collaboration with the EPI and its partners, organize formative research, development, pre-testing and production of culturally relevant communication materials to ensure an increase in demand and use of vaccination services.
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of CSC strategies and activities to achieve measurable behavioral and social changes that will improve the rights and well-being of children.
- Advocacy, networking and partnership building
- Contribute to advocacy efforts and strengthen partnerships with various social groups, particularly women’s and youth associations, to guide them on effective communication approaches and techniques towards achieving the objectives of the EPI.
- Establish and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with established national and international civil society organizations, community groups, leaders and other essential community and civil society partners to strengthen collaboration and to further promote the mission and objectives of UNICEF regarding children’s rights.
- Collaborate with CSC partners to align and coordinate messaging to improve CSC contribution to programmatic outcomes.
- Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Institutionalize/share good practices and lessons learned with partners and stakeholders to build capacity and disseminate products to key audiences, including partners and donors.
- Support the development and implementation of capacity building initiatives, including partnerships with training and educational institutions to strengthen the skills of stakeholders/partners across all program sectors in relation to planning, implementation and evaluation of CCS in support of programs/projects.
- Develop training materials for training activities, review and update them as necessary.
A travel plan will be developed based on the need for risk communication/communication support. In addition, the Consultant will submit activity reports to the supervisors based on the initially validated work plans and deliverables.
IV. Expected results