HTS Officer (Adigrat General Hospital, Ayder Specialized Hospital, Mekelle General Hospital, Wukro General Hospital)

Background:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a global not-for-profit organization that provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to 3 million patients in 50 countries globally and 15 countries in Africa, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. As we create and implement unparalleled programs in new communities globally, we expand the delivery of healthcare and influence over strategies with the sole aim of saving more lives.

Currently, AHF-Ethiopia is supporting 26 high-load public health facilities, 1 NGO, and 1 AHF-owned clinic and providing standardized comprehensive HIV care and prevention service for more than 93,000 clients in Addis Ababa, Oromia, Amhara, Sidama, and Tigray Regions.

The organization is looking for experienced candidates for the Tigray Region-supported Health Facilities for the HTS Officer position to support the facility on HIV Prevention and Testing services, Linkage to care and treatment, and retention in care.

Position Summary:

The HTS Officer in the AHF-Ethiopia Prevention team based at supported health facilities is responsible for the activities of HIV testing programs (ICT, Optimized PITC, VCT, and others as applicable) and related activities, including community-based initiatives. He/she will also be responsible for providing direct HIV testing services for highly targeted HIV identification HTS approaches, like index case testing, as a priority, and targeted testing using HIV risk screening tools to improve HIV positive identification yields. The employee will support, follow up optimal linkage of all identified HIV Positives to care and treatment services (those who are identified in the facility and referred from other health facilities) through establishing a strong referral linkage mechanism and regular follow-up till all are started on their treatment, along with their retention in care, missed appointment patients tracking, and supporting them to be back in care and treatment. The employee will work in close collaboration with other Prevention Teams, the care and treatment team, and Advocacy/Marketing staff at the country office for effective and smooth implementation of planned activities to support the facilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct baseline assessment in all HIV Prevention, testing, linkage, and retention, and summarize the findings.
• Based on the identified gaps, develop a site support plan /Performance improvement plan, submit, and regularly implement the action points and monitor the outcome.
• Ensure the implementation of the day-to-day highly targeted counseling and testing activities and directly provide innovative testing services for clients, like Index case testing.
• Ensure that all relevant materials, equipment, and supplies(HIV risk screening tool) for targeted testing and HIV counseling and testing are adequately in place at the facility.
• Collection of monthly HRST Cascade performance, analysis on site, develop a performance improvement plan by SDP, and give it to the focal person to improve HRST utilization and improve targeted testing.
• Identify PITC training and targeted testing orientation/training gaps at the facility, plan for it, and fill the gap.
• Ensure nationally endorsed referral slips are available and utilized within and outside of supported health facilities to refer newly diagnosed HIV positives
• Ensure all clients’ HIV test results are documented on the appropriate Test Log, All HIV Positives are documented and followed on Positive tracking register and reported to the HIV Testing Support Program to HO using all shared monitoring tool.
• Ensure availability and proper utilization of the non-ART patients started follow-up form at the Hospital, and those patients are followed till they start ART.
• Conduct longitudinal follow-up of newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients, linkage and retention status tracking tool at the Hospital.
• Ensure daily/regular tracing and tracking of the final linkage status of HIV positive clients who were referred to other health facilities, declined, lost before ART started… at the Hospital.
• Collaborate with the care and treatment team to support missed appointments and interrupted in treatment timely identification and tracking with proper documentation on appropriate registration book at the Hospital.
• Monitor and follow regularly, the recording and registration of ICT Data on the respective registration, client intake forms and ICT Service follow up tool timely at the Hospital.
• Support and update ICT follow up tool insertion to all patients charts at the Hospital
• Update daily ICT follow up tool based on index patients and their contacts information at the Hospital. This will include transcription of index patients and their contacts information from other tool to ICT follow up tool and updating on ICT Performance improvement tool.
• Support the facility to identify ever ICT offered, every elicited contacts by risk category (Sex partner, children/sibling and parents) with their current testing outcome (Positive, negative untested or unknown from patients currently on treatment and identify the ICT Cascade gap
• Develop strategies to improve cascades with gap (offer ICT for all not offered, conduct elicitation for those who did not elicit their sexual partners and children, test those who are not tested) and share to HO.
• Intimately monitor the implementation ICT testing improvement activities on daily basis and report to facility management and prevention team.
• Work with other teams (data teams, mentor, nurse, color and linkage assistant) in preparation of regular quality reports based on the reporting tool.
• Check the recording and registration of HCT data on the respective registration and client intake forms and provide corrective measures as necessary.
• Ensure there is regular patient screening for STI at OPDs including ART/PMTCT and those diagnosed with STI at MOPDs are treated for STI, tested for HIV with their sexual partners at the hospital and supported health facilities
• Conduct regular/Monthly mentorship to testing unit, provide onsite feedback and report to Program team on monthly basis.
• Involve and ensure temporary staff who fulfill the requirement as per the JD are registered; Standard questions are prepared and examined in collaboration with appropriate facility and staff
• Work with temporary AHF Staff assigned at the facility on daily basis, provide follow up and support for them on the areas they are assigned where applicable.
• Involve and ensure temporary staff who fulfill the requirement as per the JD are registered; Standard questions are prepared and examined in collaboration with appropriate facility and staff when needed.
• Conduct regular analysis of planned HIV Prevention, testing by modalities (PITC, VCT and ICT), Positive identification, linkage and retention from target and cascade, continuously develop improvement plan based on site specific gap, present on facility MDT/PMT where facility Directors lead the meeting.
• Conduct other outreach HCT activities as deemed necessary to enhance index case testing and targeted outreach to detect more HIV positives and others.
• Assists in other activities including ART service provision, linkage, and retention, adherence support, etc. to fill gaps whenever there is a demand from the AHF Ethiopia team
• Take part in the preparation of AHF-Ethiopia’s country HIV prevention and advocacy program plan in joint with AHF-Ethiopia HIV Prevention Team
• Execute any related additional duties assigned by Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator and Prevention Program & AU Advocacy Liaison Manager.

• Minimum of diploma in Nursing field of studies from a recognized university; Having further education such as, BSC in public Health/Nursing, MPH, Reproductive health, Epidemiology, Social Sciences background, etc. would be an advantage
• At least four years’ experience in a field directly related to HIV/AIDS and above specified responsibilities of which 3 years is facility level experience.
• Solid knowledge and experience on HIV Testing and Counseling
• Thorough understanding of HIV programs
• Demonstrate experience in designing, implementing & monitoring HTC programs & activities.

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and keen to work with good team spirit
• Proficient in computer & internet skills, including word processing, database and presentation software; experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and statistical analysis programs
• Effective time management and meeting deadlines without compromising quality
• Must be highly organized and demonstrate multi-tasking ability
• Flexible, proactive and able to organize work independently with minimum supervision
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with good command of English & Amharic languages; has expert-level skills in writing and speaking Tigrigna.