HIV Prevention Lead at Centre for Health Solutions - Kenya (CHS)

HIV PREVENTION LEAD: CHS/HR/STP/HTSL/01/2024

Overall Job Function

The overall function of this position is to ensure effective implementation and supervision of all HIV testing services (HTS) activities in the region including; identification of people living with HIV, linkage to treatment, longitudinal follow up and referrals for HIV prevention interventions. The HIV Prevention Lead will work closely with the County Health teams, other implementing partners, program teams, and service providers in Siaya County to strengthen health systems and ensure that the quality of HIV identification, prevention, linkage and retention to treatment are supported across the program in consistence with the donor and national guidelines. The HIV Prevention Lead will also support training, on-site technical supportive supervision, mentorship, and regular updates to technical teams and service providers in all populations.

Key Responsibilities

• To provide leadership in the planning and implementation of HTS strategies including optimization of HTS in all service delivery points, assisted safe ethical index testing and other high-yielding strategies targeting different sub populations
• Provide guidance on Social network strategy (SNS) and risk network testing targeting high risk sub-populations with close monitoring and reporting of implementation
• Provide coordination for optimal facility and community testing to attain coverage and expected yield for epidemic control
• Provide technical guidance on linkage to prevention services including PrEP, equitable access to condoms and lubricants, VMMC, DREAMS program, Key and vulnerable programs
• Streamline and oversee biomedical interventions for adolescent girls and young women as structured in DREAMS program including and not limited to reaching male sexual partners
• Establish IPV adverse events monitoring and reporting system across all service delivery points including post-violence care
• Review geographical and sub population gaps to identify opportunities to guide implementation and reach the unreached
• Promote utilisation of machine learning reports to help in risk stratification of clients for tailoring of services, including testing and linkage to treatment and prevention services
• Tracking HIV testing Services-Test Results specifically conducted for PrEP enrolment, quarterly re-testing and risk based testing among all populations to improve case identification
• Expand Community models of PrEP delivery to include Youth friendly service outlets, build capacity of AGYW to reach and offer demand creation and appropriate counseling to peers for increased PrEP uptake
• Commodity tracking to forecast and quantify in order to reduce stock-outs
• To support interventions to ensure optimal linkage of HIV-positive clients to treatment in all sub-populations
• Support and monitor the implementation of recency testing to inform targeted programming
• Work with the SI lead to Support scale up of eHTS tools to all CHS Shinda Tena project-supported health facilities and community programs
• Ensure ALL HTS data is captured through the eHTS platform with 100% concordance between data submitted to the NDWH, 3PM and DATIM
• Scale up UPI for HTS through continued sensitization and support to HTS providers
• To ensure the implementation of HTS quality assurance and control systems according to the National guidelines
• Ensure that all active HTS providers are trained or refreshed on safe and ethical index case testing
• Support for counselling supervision as per MoH guidelines to ensure the quality of counselling is maintained
• Ensure all testing sites are enrolled in RTCQI and are assessed quarterly using Stepwise Process for Improving the Quality of HIV Rapid Testing (SPI-RTRI) checklist
• Ensure active testers must be registered with the National Public Health Laboratories (NPHL) for rapid HIV testing (RHT) proficiency testing, support delivery of PT panels and corrective actions for unsatisfactory results
• Conduct refresher training for the HTS personnel as per the HTS operational manual
• Oversee the development and implementation of HTS work plans
• To provide technical guidance to HIV prevention technical leads and technical officers in the implementation of HTS strategies
• Continuous Capacity building of program staff and service delivery staff in health facilities and the community in provision of HIV testing services according to national guidelines
• Work with the laboratory lead county HTS commodity focal persons and technical officers to support HTS commodity management through proper quantification and forecasting
• Ensure accurate reporting as per MoH and PEPFAR guidance using the standards and recommended tools.
• Assess progress and barriers to achievement of program implementation plans, recommend action for improvement or modifications to address problems, document and highlight results

Person Specification

• Degree in Public health, Nursing, Clinical medicine, or other health-related degree
• Atleast 5 years of experience in HIV program implementation
• Demonstrable knowledge of HIV/ART management procedures, guidelines, adherence support and HIV testing service delivery
• Proficient in Microsoft Office packages, report writing and presentation skills
• Dedicated team player with excellent interpersonal, communication, report writing and analytical skills
• Ability to exhibit professionalism and high ethical standards
• High level of integrity and able to maintain confidentiality