Community Health Worker

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has operated in Libya since 2016, where it works with Libyan national and local health authorities to provide inclusive free-of-charge health services to vulnerable populations. There is consensus among stakeholders that Libya’s Essential Service Package (ESP) should be the cornerstone of the MoH’s strategic reform program and a key tool in reaching Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for people living in Libya. The Libyan ESP is composed of two service delivery levels – primary care at Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) and secondary care at hospitals – and five health programming areas: reproductive, maternal, and newborn health; child health; communicable diseases; non-communicable diseases; and emergency services. Accordingly, since 2018, IRC has collaborated with the European Union (EU) Delegation in Libya and the MoH to develop and pilot the (ESP) aims at strengthening existing delivery systems and providing a standardized package of primary health care services to Libyans and non-Libyans. Funded by the European Union Delegation in Libya, the Advancing Capacity for and Coverage of the Essential Services package through Systems strengthening (ACCESS) is designed to address the combined lack of quality ESP offered and strengthen the management capacity, accountability and transparency of the District Health Office (DHO) to oversee and coordinate health services in the municipality in close coordination with other services provided by humanitarian and development actors in addition to community engagement and accountability to promote a healthy lifestyle and ensure services meet their needs. While treatment and prevention of communicable diseases remain the current priority for the country, attention to less common None- Communicable Diseases (NCD) will be paid to avoid their spread in the future. ACCESS will ensure the roll-out of the Libyan NCD Health Promotion Strategy (2020 – 2025) (developed through prior EU funding) at all supported facilities, while personal hygiene and changing lifestyle messages will form part of the hygiene promotion activities. The aim of the strategy is to decrease NCD mortality, increase numbers of NCD patients attending primary healthcare, reduce NCD acute or chronic complications, reduce the prevalence of smoking, and decrease the prevalence of obesity over the next five years. IRC will leverage tailored relevant IEC materials for NCD prevention and control which IRC for distribution at health facilities and in communities. IRC will support increased awareness of NCDs and conditions through on-the-job training on case management, improving diagnosis and treatment at the primary level, prevention through health education at the community and health facility level, and support to MoH campaigns.

ACCESS program will be implemented directly in Sabha and cover ALshaite (Brak and Algurdha Ashshati and Edre) . In high populated areas with non-functioning and non-damaged PHCC, IRC will explore with DOH providing mobile medical teams on a rotational basis.

Major Responsibilities:

• Under the supervision of the Senior Community Health Worker Officer (Snr. CHWO), the Community Health Worker is responsible for:
• Conduct both needs assessments and baseline assessments in the communities in collaboration with the HIMS assistant & Senior Medical team leader.
• Develop strong relationships with community leaders and other stakeholders operating in the districts, provide updates of activities and develop areas of collaboration to address programmatic gaps and strengthen program impact
• She/he will assist the medical team and other staff with other reports.
• Perform regular health education sessions for beneficiaries.
• Disseminate health materials to beneficiaries as necessary
• The CHW will assist staff with other activities and support as necessary.
• Attend scheduled program meetings
• Actively participate in activity planning
• Ensures patient confidentiality
• Support the health team in translation to/from English language
• Ensure quality of services, accurate data collection and tracking of health promotion activities and client satisfaction surveys.
• Support the development of house hold surveys and questionnaires for knowledge, attitude and practice surveys in collaboration with the HIMS assistant & health manager.
• Support the assessment of health awareness, mental health issues, and gaps in health services provided at community level. Also, assess beneficiaries’ perceptions toward healthcare services provided by mobile health teams.
• Compile data and submit weekly technical reports to HIMS assistant & Snr. CHWO.
• Provide regular updates to the IRC security and operations team on any potential risks or issues in the communities

Staff management

The Community Health Worker will not be line managing any internal staff. S/he might support and train volunteers and (CSOs) to provide healthcare in supported PHC facilities, if needed.

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Snr. Community Health Worker officer

Working Environment:This position will be based out of the IRC field office in Sabha and Wadi Alshati Baladiya, with daily visits to the field sites.

Minimum Qualifications:

• ·Experience in Mental Health activities is an advantage.
• ·Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with daily travel to different field sites in Tripoli
• ·Effective team player with public interest driven orientation
• ·Has previous volunteering experience
• ·Demonstrates a high degree of self-motivation
• ·Has a good network in targeted the community
• ·Able to speak in Arabic as well as English (other languages desirable)
• ·Has good communication skills and the capacity to facilitate presentations, meetings, and discussions concerning health and social issues
• ·Able to provide assistance to all individuals and nationalities