EPIDEMIOLOGIST (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium Emergency Mobile Pool

CONTEXT

The Emergency Unit or the Epool is part of the Operations Department of MSF Belgium (Operational Centre Brussels) and plays a fundamental role in responding to humanitarian emergencies. The Epool scans constantly and broadly to timely identify potential crisis situations; conducts exploratory and assessment missions; initiates and manages large scale emergency interventions; and supports emergency interventions managed by regular cells. Its primary function is to intervene with medical activities directly and quickly in crisis situations like conflicts, epidemics and natural catastrophes while guaranteeing the quality of interventions.

Our Epool consists of the head of the Epool, 2 additional emergency coordinators, a medical coordinator, and several supportive officers (logistic, supply, finance, human resources), all based in Brussels and a mobile team of around 20 emergency responders who ensures the coordination of emergencies in our projects.

As the Epool mobile Epidemiologist, you support the improvement of the timeliness and quality of emergency assessments and interventions, while supporting teams doing proper data collection, management and analysis. You define, implement and follow up epidemiological activities in emergency interventions, including routine data monitoring and analysis of MSF medical activities, outbreak investigations, surveys and surveillance that constitute ‘operational intelligence for operational decision-making’. This includes own information within the projects but also gathering information from partner organizations (MoH/Health-cluster mechanisms etc) and further context scanning.

Your direct line manager is the e-pool Emergency Medical Coordinator with technical support line management of the OCB Epi-advisor, and further support by the OCB E-health team. When in intervention, you will report to the medical coordinator in the project and include your line manager.

On call, you are available within 48 hours for rapid and short interventions in any context and countries where the Epool opens activities, which require an urgent response. You are part of a core group (medicals, para-medicals, logisticians…), responsible for investigation, responding and documenting (project monitoring), amongst others, of Exploratory assignments/ Surveys and Acute public health emergencies (such as Emergencies escalated due to conflict, Epidemics/ Outbreaks, Nutritional crises,  (Forced) Displacement of populations and/or refugees’ camps, Natural disasters)

Working in all contexts prioritized by the Epool (conflict, outbreaks, natural disasters), you have the flexibility to work with different terms of reference (assessments, epi follow up outbreaks, set-up/support data monitoring E-pool interventions, …) and work in emergency contexts with regular cells and fill gaps in regular projects if needed.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

HEADQUARTER LEVEL:

1. In collaboration with the Emergency Medical Coordinator, the E-health unit and Epi-advisor(s) within the Epidemiology circle of the MSF-OCB in the medical department as well as with peers in the intersectional Epidemiology Network, improve, according to emergency scenarios, work on data collection tools, methodologies and the standardization of itAxx
2. In collaboration with the Emergency Medical Coordinator and intersectional Epi-advisor(s) participate in horizon surveillance scanning (public health/humanitarian emergencies, nutrition situation, …)
3. In collaboration with the Emergency Medical Coordinator and Epi-advisor(s), build a network/collaboration with the different operational Cells in OCB, the E-health team, the Epi Circle (OCB group of epi advisors, Epicentre, medical department advisors, different stakeholders, …)
4. In collaboration with the Emergency Medical Coordinator and relevant departments (mainly medical department: Ariadne Unit, Epi circle) continue the discussion on medical data support for the E-pool and formalize sustainable support mechanisms to ensure monitoring of e-pool medical activities
5. Support the Emergency Medical Coordinator to build regular data overviews of E-pool medical/humanitarian activities (e.g. for the yearly medical activity report, typology, etc)

PROJECTS LEVEL:

1. Data monitoring/analyses/reporting:

• Lead and ensure the implementation of epidemiological activities and data collection (with or without line list) are well done from the beginning according to appropriate methodology
• Supervise data collection procedures. Ensure that all data collection tools, and software tools are properly used and are updated regularly, in order to ensure full data traceability, availability and security
• Analyze data and results of epidemiological activities and formulate these in situational reports
• Advise the medical coordinator and team on epidemiological/humanitarian-medical needs observations that arise during the activities. When necessary, design and implement tools and data collection to meet new needs and support interventions (and monitoring)
• Assist the teams in setting up data dashboard that allow regular/timely monitoring and decision making

2. EPI emergency work:

Together with the team lead, with the objective of better defining/adapting project strategies and activities, treatment approach and preventive practices, be part or encourage:

• Outbreak investigations
• Health needs assessments
• Surveys/Assessments in order to improve early detection of health events and potential risk factors
• Outbreak surveillance, including when relevant also community-based surveillance)

3. Networking:

Participate in partner meetings such as cluster meetings, help constructing a network between organizations, active in the emergency

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