Assistant Public Health Officer – NOA – BEY142 – UNOPS Contracts - Beirut, Lebanon

General Background

It is expected for COVID-19 pandemic and its effect to last in 2021, at least in the first 3 quarters, and depending on the course of the pandemic, UNHCR need to maintain a flexible response plan, and be prepared to expand hospitals beds capacity for COVID when needed, support MoPH in contact tracing and sentinel surveillance activities for refugees, and future vaccination campaigns for COVID-19. In addition, continue with routine activities conducted in 2020, such as prevention and community engagement, isolation procedures in overcrowded settings and supporting rapid response teams (RRTs). This position play an important role in UNHCR response plan for COVID-19, and provided vital assistance to PHU in meeting set commitment and deadlines in COVID response.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Assistant Public Health Officer is a member of a multidisciplinary team and will ensure that UNHCR's public health programmes meet minimum UNHCR and global health standards in order to minimize avoidable morbidity and mortality among populations of concern (POC) and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The incumbent provides strong and timely support to UNHCR partners including on the design and scope of UNHCR’s responses in health and nutrition, catalyses the engagement of other actors, supports resource mobilization efforts and monitors the response. S/he has close contacts with internal and external stakeholders such as government counterparts, UN Agencies and NGOs.
The Assistant Public Health Officer should also ensure consultation with communities seeking the diverse views of men, women, girls and boys, adolescents, youth, older persons, LGBTI persons, persons with disabilities , including people with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities, in assessing needs, designing, implementing and monitoring responses in line with UNHCR’s policy on age, gender and diversity mainstreaming.
The position mainly focus on COVID-19 health program, spcific tasks include:  - Under pillar.7: case management and expanding COVID-19 beds under hospital expansion project. Act as a liaison with selected hospitals, assess and conduct preliminary discussions with hospitals key staff on capacity to expand, their current needs, etc; - Follow up with UNHCR Supply unit on weekly distribution of medical equipment, renewable medical supplies, medicines and PPEs designated for those hospitals, and according to the phased progress of the project; - Follow up with UNHCR Shelter and Supply units on needed rehabilitation and infrastructure modifications required in designated hospitals (negative pressure setup, medical gas installation, civil work, etc); - Coordinate with other stakeholders (MoPH, Hospitals key staff, WHO, EMT, etc) on complimentary needs, such as human resources needs, training, equipment not supplied under UNHCR project;   - Provide updates on implementation progress to other partners during health sector meetings, UNHCR PI and external relation units for donor reporting, and on need.
Other tasks: - Act as remote backup for field offices PHU staff going on short-term leaves or on need as requested by the head of unit; - Support implementation of neonatal mortality audit project. 

Monitoring and Progress Controls

In coordination with MoPH-ESU, UNHCR field offices PHUs and rapid response teams, ensure timely reporting of COVID-19 new cases among refugee population, and update the line-list and other reporting tools; - Ensure the timely submission of COVID weekly reports on UNHCR reporting tool, the integrated refugee’s health information system (IRHIS), every Monday of each week; - Submit weekly COVID-19 sitreps to head of unit.