Program Manager, Malaria

In 2002, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) began as the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the developing world and strengthen health systems there. Taking the lead from Governments and working with partners, CHAI works to improve markets for lifesaving medicines and diagnostics, lower the costs of treatments, and expand access to life-saving technologies — creating a sustainable model that can be owned and maintained by Governments. In 2005, CHAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Malawi (GoM) to strengthen health systems in the most challenged districts, provide national support to HIV/AIDS drug pricing and programmatic work, support the pilot and scale-up of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) initiatives, expand access to ART for children, strengthen the Malawi’s lab system, and scale-up an integrated nutrition programme for children. CHAI’s support to Malawi has expanded to include Human Resources for Health (HRH), Vaccines (pneumococcal and rotavirus), and Health Financing. For more information, visit http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org Background Malaria is a persistent and debilitating disease in Malawi. It is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality with an estimated six million cases each year, which represents approximately 40% of the burden of illness in health facilities.  Severe Malaria is also a major cause of childhood death, and it is often the main reason for paediatric hospital admission in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Quinine is currently the established treatment of choice.  However, its primacy in the treatment of severe Malaria has been challenged by the introduction of artemisinin derivatives. Studies in Asia and Africa have shown parenteral artesunate substantially reduces mortality in children with severe Malaria.  In addition, Malawi faces a challenge of limited resources for health prevention and treatment activities.  CHAI has partnered with the GoM to seek new sources of financing and to realise maximum impact from existing financing. Position Overview The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) seeks a Programme Manager - Malaria Team based in Lilongwe, Malawi to assist the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Malawi in addressing acute challenges around the long-term sustainable control and eventual elimination of malaria in Malawi in a resource-limited setting. The Programme Manager - Malaria will report to the Senior Programme Manager of the Health Financing Cluster and will manage a team of approximately one to four staff. The Programme Manager - Malaria will be responsible for helping the MoH address critical funding shortfalls in the health sector, with specific attention on Malaria. He/she will be solely responsible for leading CHAI’s involvement with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), including, but not limited to, the nationwide rollout of Injectable Artesunate, rolling out integrated community level interventions that target early childhood disease (pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria), and more broadly furthering the development of public private partnerships in Malawi around vector control. Additionally, the Programme Manager - Malaria will also be involved in developing innovative mechanisms for generating revenue for malaria, in order to help the MoH raise additional funds.  CHAI has partnered with the MoH to seek new sources of financing and to realise maximum impact from existing financing. As part of CHAI’s Health Financing Team, the Programme Manager - Malaria will provide strategic advice to the Ministry of Health (MoH) on the financial implications of decisions regarding specific programmes, geographies, and the fight against Malaria more generally. The Programme Manager - Malaria will be jointly responsible for the quantification and mapping of funding needs and available resources, helping the MoH make health financing policy decisions through targeted use of data (Resource Mapping). The Programme Manager - Malaria will support all other ad hoc requests as requested by the NMCP and the Health Financing cluster. The Programme Manager - Malaria will lead a team that works closely with senior leaders in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance as well as donors, NGOs, and civil society organisations. In general, the Programme Manager - Malaria will work with the Ministry of Health (MoH), the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and stakeholders to: Provide Malaria service coverage for all Malawians and reduce the disease burden nationwide through interventions such as vector control and community case management; Accelerate the introduction and uptake of Malaria rapid diagnostic tests as well as parenteral and rectal artesunate for diagnosis of Malaria and treatment of severe Malaria respectively; Assist the MoH to address critical funding shortfalls in the health sector, with particular attention on Malaria; Assist the MoH to generate sustainable revenue for Malaria through the establishment of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy; and Assist the MoH to make evidence-based health financing policy decisions through targeted use of data (e.g. Resource Mapping) and analysis. This position will have direct and immediate impact on the lives of thousands of patients. It presents an opportunity to work closely with a Government that is committed to finding opportunities for sustainable financing of the health sector, providing strategic advice and developing tools that will deliver improved healthcare for the people of Malawi.

Responsibilities:

Working in close collaboration with MoH/NMCP, the Programme Manager - Malaria will: Support the planning for transition, introduction, implementation and monitoring activities that relate to the nationwide rollout of artesunate; Assist with interventions at the community level, such as community case management, vector control, Malaria in pregnancy, and the Rapid Access Expansion (RAcE) project; Train appropriate MoH staff on the use of reporting and data management tools; Manage development of quantitative models to assess opportunities for improved efficiency and effectiveness of health interventions; Develop quantification models and distribution plans to support future procurement and distribution of artesunate to health facilities; Assist NMCP in identifying issues relating to diagnosis and treatment of Malaria and support the implementation of solutions to these challenges; Implement recommendations to increase uptake of and adherence to rapid diagnostics in Malaria testing to optimise use of treatment commodities; Support improvements in supply chain management relating to all Malaria commodities; Identify overlapping opportunities to expand access and strengthen systems relating to HIV and TB testing and treatment; Lead development of new mechanisms for the GoM to generate revenue for Malaria, projecting potential income and assessing feasibility; Lead efforts to strengthen public private partnerships within the Malaria space in Malawi; Work with Senior-Level MoH staff and partners on Malaria-related initiatives in Malawi, including actively participating in Technical Working Groups and supporting resource mobilisation efforts on behalf of CHAI and the MoH; Ensure activities are conducted according to work plan and budget; Support applications for additional resources for Malaria, including funding applications for the Global Fund’s New Funding Model; Drive internal strategic planning and coordinating activities, communication, and deliverables within the Malaria Financing and Access Global Teams and across several country teams; Provide management and oversight to one to four highly-motivated and analytical individuals, enabling high performance and professional growth; Provide regular reports to the Senior Programme Manager of Health Financing Cluster, Country Director and Global Teams on progress of activities. Manage budget and expenditure for the Malaria Financing and Access Malaria programmes; and Manage communication and reporting requirements for programme donors

Qualifications:

A Master’s degree (preferably in Business or Public Health) from a well-recognised, high-calibre institution; A minimum of 4 years’ professional experience in a private or public sector setting; Previous experience working in Malaria treatment or testing field in Africa or a similar context; Demonstrated experience conceiving, planning and executing programmes or projects with verifiable results and little external support; Demonstrated experience building and analysing quantitative models to inform decision-making; Experience managing demanding work plans and tight budgets; Experience developing training materials and/or reports for broad consumption; Experience with supply chain and operations informatics; Demonstrated ability to navigate complex Government processes with multiple influencers and to negotiate and achieve consensus; Strong analytical skills and advanced technical proficiency with MS Excel and PowerPoint (analytical skills and proficiency levels will be tested during recruiting process); Demonstrated ability to navigate political discussions objectively and diplomatically; Demonstrated growth in responsibility in current or previous roles; Demonstrated ability to solve challenging problems without extensive structural or operational support; and English language fluency, both written and verbal. Advantages Previous work experience in management consulting, finance or similar private sector enterprises; Knowledge of and/or experience with the Global Fund proposal development process and other donor funding mechanisms (e.g. DFID, Gates, IHP, SWAp, HIPC funds); Chichewa fluency, both written and verbal; Experience working in developing countries, particularly in the health sector and in Sub-Saharan Africa; and Experience with and/or interest in shaping national health policy decisions.

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