Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN) was established in September 2010 by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), with a national mandate as a specialized development agency responsible for overall coordination of development programs for the Catholic Church a role it plays within Church and Society Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN). CCFN is registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and can enter into contracts and agreements as a juridic or corporate entity, this is to facilitate development intervention and relations with funding partners in order to achieve greater professionalism. However it remains to all intents and purposes an agency of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, working broadly as part of the Church and Society department of the CBCN but not limited to it. The Catholic Church in Nigeria has a total of 54 dioceses grouped into 9 provinces, serving an estimated Catholic population of about 30 million. CCFN serves as the umbrella organization supporting these regional institutions to implement programs based on local needs. CCFN works in the following core thematic areas: Health and HIV/AIDS, Good Governance, Education, Emergency Response, Peace building, Environment and Gender as cross-cutting area. As part of the universal mission of the Church, CCFN works with local and international faith based and secular organizations on the basis of rights and need, not creed, race or nationality.
- Location Abia
Purpose of Position
- Under the supervision of the Caritas Nigeria State Team the Laboratory technician will primarily work with the designated CBO’s Clinician, ART Nurse and Adherence Focal Persons to ensure all patients due to receive a viral load are identified before due date, notified, scheduled and receive a viral load test.
- S/he will follow up on VL results received and ensure they are documented in the patient folder. S/he will provide other services like Recency, AHD diagnosis
Duties & Responsibilities
- Develop an effective relationship through clear communication and building trust with patients in the CBOs.
- Identify patients eligible for a viral load (VL) test via a line list of eligible patients generated monthly in collaboration with the M & E and Health Informatics unit as shared by your facility tier manger.
- Draw up weekly list of patients for VL test expected at the facility irrespective of appointment dates.
- Call out to patients (phone calls) to remind them of a VL test
- Ensure list of expected patients is domiciled on clinic days at every point within the CBO to ensure patient is identified, notified and directed to the Lab for sample collection. Alternatively, you can pull their folders a day before and file a blank lab form in them as a 2nd step reminder
- Liaison with all POS within the CBO to ensure all clients eligible for VL draw are identified and are linked to the lab.
- Ensure that a the VL requisition form completely filled before blood draw.
- Ensure that blood is drawn for VL test for all those who present at the laboratory.
- Make a list of patients who missed the scheduled appointment to reschedule for the VL draw and share with the VL champion.
- Follow up on the patients that will be eligible for repeat VL after EAC and ensure that blood is drawn and shipped to the reference laboratory
- Provides weekly and monthly updates and reports of VL activity using prescribed templates for laboratory
- Notifies appropriate authorities of VL commodity shortage or stock out.
- Ensure that all new patients identified and eligible are offered recency and AHD testing.
Criteria for Qualification
- Minimum of Laboratory Technician certificate from MLSCN with current license to practice as a laboratory technician.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and make reasoned judgments in a timely fashion. Committing to a course of action without undue delay or prevarication
- Experience of dealing with difficult and sensitive situations in a professional manner.
- Ability to work under pressure, efficiently handle multiple tasks, quickly find creative solutions to problems and challenges that arise, and manage stress and time in a fast-paced work and fluid operating environment.
- Ability to foster and maintain a spirit of unity, teamwork, cooperation, and learning.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Sensitivity in working with multiple cultures and beliefs, and to gender equity.
- Moderate level proficiency with Microsoft Office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team.
- Persons living with HIV who meet the above criteria are strongly encouraged to apply.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should submit a Letter of Application with a recently updated CV as a single PDF file format (as an attachment), and send to: zinnokaccessproject@gmail.com using the Job Title and applicant’s name as the subject of the email. E.g. “Usman OBI- ART NURSE or Johnson Bunmi- Programme Officer.
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.