Somalia continues to face persistent risks from poliovirus transmission and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), exacerbated by fragile health systems and insecurity. WHO Somalia is seeking a State PVD Surveillance Officer to provide epidemiological and programmatic leadership. The primary focus of this role is to maintain high-quality polio surveillance while integrating functions for EPI and VPD surveillance across state, regional, and district levels.
Key Responsibilities:
Polio Surveillance: Lead the implementation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) and Environmental Surveillance (ES) operations. Monitor core and non-core indicators to ensure global standards are met and guide districts on corrective actions.
Disease Integration: Provide technical oversight for the surveillance of priority VPDs and epidemic-prone diseases, ensuring integration within the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework.
Outbreak Investigation: Lead field investigations for suspected poliovirus events and support investigations for other VPD outbreaks. Coordinate Rapid Risk Assessments with national technical teams.
Capacity Building: Train and mentor WHO Public Health Officers (PHOs), government health staff, and facility focal points in outbreak preparedness, data quality, and surveillance techniques.
Data & Reporting: Conduct rigorous analysis of surveillance data to assess performance at the district level. Prepare state-level dashboards, summaries, and presentations for Ministries of Health and global partners.
Coordination: Act as the primary technical liaison between WHO, the State Ministry of Health, and implementing partners to ensure a unified response to public health events
