Professional Counselor Tester at Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNi)

Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNi) is a non-profit organization that promotes socio-economic development by supporting global health and economic initiatives in Nigeria. It was established as indigenous organizational, registered in 2009 with its headquarter in Abuja, and presence in the four geopolitical regions of Nigeria.  It aims to provide technical assistance to the government and people of Nigeria in the implementation of public health and development programs.

The Global Fund Grant Cycle (GC7) is to ensure a coordinated and intensive effort to scale up the prevention, identification, and treatment of HIV in both general and key populations in Anambra state. The focus will be on facility and community-based approaches to reach epidemic control, and in addition, ensure improvement in the coverage of pregnant women on ART as well as target KP and AGYW programs.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Professional Counselor Tester

Location: Taraba
Contract Type: Adhoc Services
Duration: 9 months with possibility of extension (based on availability of funds)
No of Adhoc: 12
Commencement Date: 2nd January 2024
Supervisor: Facility Laboratory Focal Person/Facility-In-Charge/Site Enhancement Officer
Job Category: Adhoc

Background

• The Accelerating the Control of HIV Epidemic in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe & Taraba States (ACE-1) Project implemented by AHNi, and the consortium partners is a robust, sustainability-focused, high-impact, evidence-based HIV/AIDS intervention funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
• It aims at fast-tracking the attainment of UNAIDS 95:95:95 targets and achieving epidemic control in the focus states.
• Effective October 1, 2024, AHNi-ACE-1 took over the HIV implementation for the general population in Taraba State. AHNi verified and retained the Adhoc personnel transitioned from RISE for the first 3months to ensure adequate HR availability to continue service provision in all facilities.  
• AHNi-ACE-1 in collaboration with the Taraba State Government seeks to engage Adhoc personnel to fill the following roles across the 29 Supported Health Facilities in Taraba.

Overall Responsibilities

• HIV testing services (HTS) include a range of services that should accompany any HIV test. This includes counselling (pre-test information and post-test counselling), linkage to appropriate prevention, treatment and care services, and other clinical and support services.
• The Professional Counselor Tester shall support all testing activities in the health facility.
• S/he will work with the facility personnel to ensure optimal testing in all service delivery points in the facility.
• S/he shall be knowledgeable in cultural issues relevant to communication and relationship management, maintain a database of clients, and remain in touch through various communication channels, including telephones, emails, social media platforms, etc.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities

• The services of the Professional Case Manager will include but not limited to the following:
• HTS for Priority Group:
  • Paediatrics
  • Adults under the following subgroups
• Clients with advanced Disease:
  • ICT clients

Index Testing:

• This is a focused HTS approach in which the biological children, sexual partners and drug-injecting partners of people diagnosed with HIV are offered HTS.
• Offers ICT to all index cases with emphasis on newly identified PLHIV, virally unsuppressed clients and LTFU returned to care.
• Elicitation of contacts (biological, social and sexual) from the index who accepts ICT.
• Follow up with testing of all elicited contacts through an invitation to the facility and/or home visits.
• Ensure counselling on intimate partner violence (IPV) and probe at routine visits to identify cases and link them to post–GBV care services.
• Ensures proper documentation on index testing/genealogy registers of all facility and community tracing and testing activities.
• Ensure linkage of newly diagnosed individuals to ART.
• Line list and follow up with clients for elicitation, testing or linkage to ART.
• Offer PrEP services to the negative serodiscordant partner.
• Summarize ICT achievement daily for attribution to DPT.

HTS:

• Ensure HTS is available at all clinics and wards in supported health facilities
• Be present before the commencement of each day’s clinic.
• Facilitate the use of the appropriate risk stratification tool (RST) for all new clinic attendees
• Offer HTS to all eligible clients from the RST.
• Ensures adherence to the national testing algorithm for all tests conducted.
• Ensures retesting by a master tester for reactive clients.
• Provide escort service for all identified HIV-positive clients to enrol and keep a referral register.
• Ensure use of HTS data collection tools (DCTs)- Client intake forms, HTS register, request and result form, and HIV testing daily worksheet.
• Ensure complete referral of clients to other services as indicated by the client intake form.
• Ensure follow-up and linkage to ART of HIV-positive clients who decline same-day initiation.
• Offer PrEP services to all negative clients screened as “high risk” using the risk assessment tool as well as discordant negative partners.
• Summarizes HTS achievement daily for attribution to daily performance tracker (DPT).

Recruitments

• BNS / RN / RM / CHO / CHEW, or Health-related qualifications with at least two (2) years post-qualification experience in managing comprehensive TB and HIV programs in resource-constrained settings
• Experience in a similar position is an added advantage
• S/he must reside within the LGA where s/he is applying to work
• Retired Nurses and MLS willing to serve are encouraged to apply
• Candidate MUST NOT be an employee of the State or Nigerian Government (Any violation of this condition will attract outright dismissal from the Adhoc services with sanctions)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Up-to-date knowledge about HIV interventions and programming at facility and community levels.
• Knowledge about the operating environment i.e. Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Taraba States
• Knowledge of the Nigerian clinical setting, including government and non-government settings.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the social, political, and ethical issues surrounding HIV infections.
• Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, subcontractors, consultants, and recipients of assistance.
• Ability to communicate in the local dialect.
• Well-developed computer skills.

Application Closing Date
9th December, 2024.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward an Application and CV as a single MS Word document to: [email protected] using the Job Title, Location and Facility indicated as the subject of the mail.

Note

• AHNi shall shortlist the candidates that meet the requirements and invite them to be interviewed by AHNi & GoN representatives
• Only applications sent electronically (i.e., by e-mail) with the job title, location and facility indicated as the subject of the mail will be considered and only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• AHNi is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• Disclaimer: AHNi does not charge candidates a fee for a test or interview.