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Monthly Archives: July 2024

HomeIHV NIGERIA.org –  Blog –  2024 –  July

IMPACT Study Physician – Abuja

Author admin Posted on

The Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) is a leading and reputable non-governmental organization addressing infectious and non-infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, COVID-19, cancer and other non-communicable diseases through the provision of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, capacity building, research, and care and support services. IHVN is in partnership with local and international organizations and the different tiers of the government of Nigeria at the national, state, and local levels. The Institute’s vision is to be a leader in providing quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa and beyond.

To advance research on anal cancer prevention research in vulnerable populations living with HIV in Nigeria through the IMPACT study, IHVN is seeking qualified candidates for the following position:

Position: IMPACT Study Physician

Job Type: Full Time. This is a 2-year contract position.

Job Location: TRUST clinic, Abuja.

Opening Date: Tuesday, 23rd July 2024

Closing Date: 12th August 2024


Job Duties and Responsibilities-He/She will:

  • Undergo and complete cancer prevention training on the job and will maintain their certification throughout the duration of the position.
  • Gently communicate with vulnerable patients about the pathogenesis of human papillomavirus (HPV), the risk of developing anal cancer, and the options for prevention and treatment procedures.
  • Assess patients for anal cancer by conducting anal swabbing, digital anal rectal examination, and high-resolution anoscopy (HRA)-directed biopsy sampling for histology diagnosis.
  • Document cases in the logbook on REDCap including notes about the procedure and impressions.
  • Work with pathology and communicate histological findings and implications of a high-grade precancer (HSIL) diagnosis as well as discuss the treatment plan with the patient.
  • Treat patients for high-grade precancerous lesions (HSIL) using hyfrecation/electrocautery for ablation. Prescribe medications as indicated.
  • Evaluate treatment progress, assess the health and well-being of the patient, and document findings.
  • Refer patients for further care for any dysplasia that cannot be addressed at the clinic level and any suspected cases of cancer.
  • Encourage participants to return for annual anal cancer screening.
  • Engage with the study and implementation science teams to improve the development of the program.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Must possess a degree in Medical Sciences (MBBS or equivalent). Postgraduate qualification/Masters level training in Public Health or Epidemiology is an advantage.
  • Must be registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, and possess a current medical practice license
  • Previous experience in HIV-related, implementation science, or cancer research is an advantage.
  • Good knowledge of current trends and normative guidance in HIV or cancer clinical care and service delivery amongst vulnerable population will be an advantage

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • MS Office – high proficiency
  • REDCap – intermediate proficiency
  • Problem solving skills
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Ability to communicate effectively
  • Ability to work well as part of a team
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Medical/Research Laboratory experience

Hiring Range: Commensurate with education and experience. Salary is contingent on grant funding.

Reporting: He/She will report to the Head of the Trust Clinic and the Principal Investigators of the IMPACT study.

Method of Application:

Interested and qualified candidates should send a detailed resume or Curriculum Vitale and a one-page cover letter as one MS Word document explaining suitability for the position to the Deputy Director, Human Resources through this email address: [email protected]

Application must explicitly state the position applied for in the subject of the email. Candidates are advised to provide three professional referees with email addresses and phone numbers.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Data Officer – Digital Health for Key Populations in HIV Care and Prevention – Abuja

Author admin Posted on

The Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) is a leading and reputable non-governmental organization addressing infectious and non-infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer through the provision of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, capacity building, research, and care and support services. IHVN is in partnership with local and international organizations and the different tiers of the government of Nigeria at national, state and local levels. The Institute’s vision is to be a leader in providing quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa and beyond.

The Resilient HIV Implementation Science with Sexual & Gender Minority Youths using Evidence (RISE) study to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the HealthMpowerment (HMP) mobile health application is a new 5-year NIH funded multi-country projected from UMB in collaboration with 5 clinical research performance sites (CRPS) across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa – Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.

Job TitleData Officer – Digital Health for Key Populations in HIV Care and Prevention  
Employment TypeFull-Time
LocationAbuja

Opening Date:       16th July 2024

Closing Date:         30th July 2024

Description and objectives:

IHVN is seeking a dedicated and passionate Data Officer to join our team and play a crucial role in a groundbreaking project focused on improving HIV care and prevention among key populations through digital health interventions. The successful candidate will work closely with healthcare providers, key population civil society organization, and Study and Data Coordinator to ensure the quality of study data. The candidate will be responsible for managing study data collection forms and databases, data entry of paper-based clinical forms into the REDCap study database, and provide trouble-shooting support for the digital health app.

Responsibilities:

  1. Lead the day-to-day coordination and management of study-related data and digital health app functioning at the site level.
  2. Check for completeness in source documents and consistency between paper-based registers and the REDCap database.
  3. Carry out daily manual data checks to verify completeness check for data errors against paper forms.
  4. Extract data from participant electronic health records or tablet-based data to REDCap.
  5. Ensure completeness, validity, consistency, timeliness, and accuracy of electronic health record data and/or tablet-based data.
  6. Evaluate databases and check for inconsistencies, duplicates, or missing data on a weekly basis.
  7. Meet monthly with the study statistician to review data and address any issues with data quality, merges, and freezes.
  8. Train healthcare staff and key population participants on the use of the digital health app, with support from the Study and Data Coordinator.
  9. Ensure that project activities are executed in compliance with ethical guidelines and regulations.
  10. Work with the digital health app team to troubleshoot issues.
  11. Collaborate with the Study and Data Coordinator and other study team members to collect, manage, and analyze project data.
  12. Participate in team meetings and provide input on project data.
  13. Participate in the review of standard operating procedures (SOPs) established for data management.
  14. Lead data collection activities, such as participant enrolment and questionnaires as needed.

Required competencies

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, or a related field
  • Human subject protection and good clinical practice training

      Experience

  • Strong understanding of digital health technologies and their application in healthcare settings.
  • Experience with Microsoft, Excel, Access, MS SQL Server, MySQL, electronic medical record systems, and REDCap
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with diverse communities.
  • Knowledge of ethical considerations related to working with key populations and vulnerable communities.
  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Sensitivity to cultural and social issues impacting key populations in HIV care and prevention.

Equal employment opportunity statement:

IHVN is an equal employment employer. We do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable laws.

Mode of Application:

  Please submit your application letter and detailed curriculum vitae as one Microsoft Word document with the position applied for and location well captured as the subject of the email to the Assistant Director, Human Resources, through this email address:[email protected].This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This advert closes 14 days from the date of this publication, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

Information Communication Technology (ICT) Officer – Digital Health for Key Populations in HIV Care and Prevention – Abuja

Author admin Posted on

The Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) is a leading and reputable non-governmental organization addressing infectious and non-infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer through the provision of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, capacity building, research, and care and support services. IHVN is in partnership with local and international organizations and the different tiers of the government of Nigeria at national, state and local levels. The Institute’s vision is to be a leader in providing quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa and beyond.

The Resilient HIV Implementation Science with Sexual & Gender Minority Youths using Evidence (RISE) study to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the HealthMpowerment (HMP) mobile health application is a new 5-year NIH funded multi-country projected from UMB in collaboration with 5 clinical research performance sites (CRPS) across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa – Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia.

Job TitleInformation Communication Technology (ICT) Officer – Digital Health for Key Populations in HIV Care and Prevention  
Employment TypeFull-Time
LocationAbuja

Opening Date:       16th July 2024

Closing Date:         30th July 2024

Description and objectives:

IHVN is seeking a dedicated and passionate ICT Officer to join our team and play a crucial role in a groundbreaking project focused on improving HIV care and prevention among key populations through digital health interventions. The successful candidate will work closely with the healthcare providers, key population civil society organization, and Study and Data Coordinator to ensure that the digital health app is functioning and that the participants have access. The candidate will be responsible for managing the digital health app, providing trouble-shooting support, uploading new resources and information, tracking participant activity, etc.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead the day-to-day coordination and management of digital health app at the site level.
  • Track participant activity and engagement in the digital health app.
  • Upload new resources and information to the digital health app.
  • Maintain database for participant smartphone data top-ups and check for inconsistencies, duplicates, or missing data on a weekly basis.
  • Meet monthly with the digital health app central team.
  • Train healthcare staff and key population participants on the use of the digital health app, with support from the Study and Data Coordinator.
  • Ensure that project activities are executed in compliance with ethical guidelines and regulations.
  • Troubleshoot and maintain a log of issues with the mobile health app.
  • Assist participants in enrolling in the digital health app and maintain updated account information for each participant in REDCap.
  • Participate in team meetings and provide input on digital app activity and functioning.
  • Participate in the review of standard operating procedures (SOPs) established for digital health app management and functioning.
  • Lead data collection activities, such as participant enrollment and questionnaires as needed.

Required competencies

     Education

  • Bachelor’s degree in public health, digital technology, software development, communications, or a related field
  • Human subject protection and good clinical practice training

  Experience:

  • Strong understanding of digital health technologies and their application in healthcare settings.
  • Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, REDCap, cybersecurity, and programming languages, such as JavaScript or C++.
  • Experience with mobile app development a major plus.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage with diverse communities.
  • Knowledge of ethical considerations related to working with key populations and vulnerable communities.
  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
  • Sensitivity to cultural and social issues impacting key populations in HIV care and prevention.

Equal employment opportunity statement:

IHVN is an equal employment employer. We do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on religion, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, genetic information, or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable laws.

Mode of Application:  Please submit your application letter and detailed curriculum vitae as one Microsoft Word document with the position applied for and location well captured as the subject of the email to the Assistant Director, Human Resources, through this email address:[email protected].This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This advert closes 14 days from the date of this publication, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

GBV Survivors Utilize IHVN Seed Funds for Financial Empowerment

Author admin Posted on

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2023 estimates, 31% of women in Nigeria have experienced physical violence since age 15. Gender-based violence (GBV) has been defined as “any violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, girls, men and boys.”

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) provides gender-based violence services such as HIV testing services, post-exposure prophylaxis for rape survivors mental health screening and psychosocial support screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and treatment for minor injuries. IHVN also provides pre-exposure prophylaxis for eligible survivors, emergency contraceptives to avoid unintended pregnancies in female survivors of childbearing age, tailored post-violence care services to clients who are undergoing intimate partner violence, and maintenance of an efficient referral system in our supported states to enhance referrals for non-clinical services like social support, legal counsel, and financial empowerment.

In December 2023, as part of programs to mark the 16 days of activism campaign against gender-based violence in women and girls, IHVN provided House Hold Economic Strengthening (HHES) interventions to about 20 indigent survivors of GBV across the four supported states. In the FCT, five gender-based violence survivors received the seed fund of ₦50,000.00 through New Hope Agency, a community-based organization to support their petty trades and increase their resilience.

A single thread that runs through the stories of the survivors is that of resilience to move beyond the pain that they have experienced to forge a new life for themselves and their children.

42-year-old Vashira Ezra shed tears of joy upon receipt of the funds. “I felt good and happy. I did not expect that one day, anybody would give me money to start anything.”

Vashira, who hails from Northeast Nigeria, but now lives in Abuja, Nigeria, decided to use the money for grain business. She bought freshly harvested guinea corn from a local market and is storing it till mid-2024 when she expects to make 70% profit from selling the grains.

“I chose the grain business because I have a passion for it. If I didn’t go for grain business, I would have spent the money anyhow. While growing up, my parents were in that line of business, and I saw how profitable it was.”

Vashira’s hopes are high that she will stabilize and expand the business from just guinea corn to other grains. In addition to selling grains, she does menial cooking jobs and hair braiding. She is optimistic that she will continue to move beyond the emotional hurt that she experienced when her partner and father of three children, abandoned her with nothing to fend for them.

Another beneficiary, Rebecca Akpan, who hails from South-South Nigeria and currently resides in Abuja, used the funds to start an akara (bean cake) business.

“I saw that if I sell close to a primary school close to where I reside in Jikwoyi, I’ll have a quick turnover. So, I bought beans, sieves, and pots, and started the business.

Every day, I grind one and a half mudus of beans. Sometimes, I fry potatoes along with it. Sometimes, I sell up to ₦7,000.00 daily. One thing I make sure to do is make a daily thrift saving,” she adds.

Besides selling akara, Rebecca is also learning how to make fabric bags and has big plans to expand the business. Being busy has given her some relief from the physical and emotional abuse that she has endured and focus on carving a better life for herself and her three children.

Agatha Jibrin, another beneficiary, used the funds to start buying and selling provisions like drinks, noodles, and biscuits. She was also able to repair her faulty fairly used grinding machine which she had obtained earlier, for a second income for grinding vegetables and grains in her neighborhood.

Agatha is from one of the North-Central States in Nigeria but now resides in Abuja.

Though the pain from the neglect of her partner who abandoned her and married her cousin is still there, with counseling and empowerment, she is moving on to work and take care of her three children.

“When I got the money, I felt like I was in heaven. Even though it was Christmas time, I was not tempted to use the money to buy things for my children. I bought drinks and sold them at a good price to attract more buyers,” she says.

Like the other beneficiaries, 43-year-old Cecilia Akwara, a mother of five, has received financial and psychosocial support after surviving physical and emotional abuse. Cecelia, who is from South-East Nigeria, lives in Abuja with her five children.  When she received the fund, she invested in making fascinators, head ties, and hats.

 “I like headwear and the creativity required in designing something new. Whenever I work on these fascinators, I feel happy. I find joy in it,” she says with a big smile. She uses the income from the fascinator and hat business to augment what she gets from working in a creche. After being deprived of the opportunity to work for more than 20 years by her partner, she is happy to work and looks forward to learning different styles of fascinators, and getting a shop to display and sell them.

The fund, though little, is changing the narrative for these women.

IHVN Gender-Based Violence Program Lead, Mrs. Derby Collins Kalu explains that, “the provision of the HHES was done to improve the lives of the survivors. We developed a set of criteria for selection of eligible survivors for the intervention. We adopted the use of HHES assessment tool but made a few modifications which included that the client is currently undergoing GBV and has reported this in the last one year

These beneficiaries have made tremendous progress and have recovered from emotional turmoil. The funds they received helped them to restart their businesses and improved the quality of their lives. The IHVN program is structured to provide both clinical and non-clinic post-violence care to survivors in the health facilities. We also program in the communities through partnership with Community Based Organizations to promote primary and secondary prevention of GBV for all post violence care survivors of GBV. Through Community Based Organization (CBOs), we also provide specialized age appropriate GBV prevention messages for adolescent and young people in the schools. We have equally integrated our GBV intervention program into the package of care for the key populations,” she says.

Vashira Ezra and her child pose for a picture with staff of New Hope Agency, the community-based organization IHVN supports to provide GBV services.
IHVN GBV Lead, Mrs. Derby Collins-Kalu presenting the seed fund to Agatha Jibrin in December 2023.
Cecilia Akwara displaying some fascinators she made.

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