International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
Overall objective:
The objective of the proposed work is to support the development and dissemination of global guidance documents developed as part of the ITN Efficiency Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by the Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP). The consultant will provide support to AMP for the editing of documents produced as part of the third year of the project.
The specific areas for support include:
- Editing of all of the guidance documents developed to ensure alignment with IFRC/AMP language
- Tracking all documents under development and ensure an archiving system that will facilitate rapid updates of base guidance and translation of changes in French/Portuguese versions of documents
- Ensuring harmonization in titles, language and structure of all guidance documents developed
- Supporting decision-making around website revisions to ensure maximum uptake of documents developed
- Participating in guidance-specific calls as needed
Background:
Over the last twenty years, significant reduction in global malaria case incidence and mortality rates as been observed globally. The malaria case incidence rate fell from 80 in 2000 to 57 in 2019, while total malaria cases declined from 238 million in 2000 to 229 million in 2019. The mortality incidence rate was reduced from 25 in 2000 to 10 in 2019, while the total number of deaths fell from 736 000 in 2000 to 409 000 in 2019[1]. Despite these achievements, of the estimated 1.5 billion malaria cases and 7.6 million malaria deaths averted globally since 2000, most cases (82%) and deaths (94%) averted were in the African Region, followed by the South-East Asia Region (10% and 3%). In 2017, WHO’s annual World malaria report warned that the global response had reached a “crossroads” and that progress towards critical GTS targets for reductions in disease and death was off track. For a second consecutive year in 2018, the World Malaria Report indicated a stall in progress. Of particular concern was the report’s finding that, among the 10 highest burden African countries, there were 3.5 million more cases in 2017 over the previous year.
Malaria continues to take a heavy toll on pregnant women and children, particularly in Africa. Left untreated, malaria in pregnancy can lead to maternal death, anemia and low birth weight – a major cause of infant mortality. In 2019, an estimated 11.6 million pregnant women living in 33 African countries with moderate-to-high transmission were infected with malaria (35% of all pregnancies). As a result, an estimated 822 000 children in these 33 countries were born with a low birth weight.
Coverage gaps are an important contributor to non-achievement of the WHO Global Technical Strategy targets, particularly in hard-to-reach, conflict-affect and marginalized communities. While expanded access to WHO-recommended malaria control interventions has played a critical role in reducing the global burden of the disease since 2000, a large proportion of the population at risk of malaria – particularly in the WHO African region – continues to lack access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP) is a workstream within RBM and is an integral part of the RBM’s Country and Regional Support Partner Committee (CRSPC). AMP is a global partnership of more than 40 organizations, including government, private sector, faith-based and humanitarian organizations. Housed and chaired by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), AMP is focused on three main activities: (1) coordination of partners involved in ITN campaign and continuous distribution activities; (2) development of operational guidance for planning and implementation of ITN distribution; and (3) supporting countries to identify, address and document operational successes and challenges to meeting the WHO Global Technical Strategy (GTS) targets for high coverage and use of ITNs.
In 2020, AMP was awarded a grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to identify ways to improve operational efficiency for ITN campaigns and develop associated operational guidance for national malaria programmes and partners. The activities in the grant are organized into seven workstreams, representing some of the most critical inefficiencies and challenges national malaria programmes and partners face with ITN campaigns and continuous distribution. AMP is collecting information about national malaria programme experiences, lessons learned and best practices in the adaptation of ITN mass campaigns to the COVID-19 context, payment systems used for campaign staff, strategies for urban distribution, SBC innovations, multi-product ITN distribution and campaign digitization. Additionally, AMP is collecting information about continuous ITN distribution plans across channels. Information collected for the project will be used both for operational guidance and for advocacy around resource mobilization, specifically for continuous distribution to ensure sustained ITN access.
Terms of reference for consultancy:
The consultancy will support the editing of all global guidance documents developed which will include but not be limited to:
- Macroplanning – simplified macroplanning documents (campaign plans, risk assessment and mitigation, waste management)
- Microplanning – considerations for COVID-19 context, templates, agendas, SOPs, etc.
- Social and behaviour change – considerations for communication planning in COVID 19 context, guidance for community leaders, pre-testing materials, advocacy and development of advocacy packages, etc.
- Logistics – last mile logistics, tools, training, reverse logistics, ITN type transition, etc.
- Quantification and procurement – additional needs and quantification for COVID-19
- Training for SBC, logistics, implementation
- Other documents as per priorities arising through implementation experience
The consultancy timeframe will be from December 16th, 2022 to August 31st, 2023.
How to apply
To apply please submit your resume and cover letter (including your daily rate) to [email protected] by Wednesday 7th of December COB. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.