Medical Referent, Owo – M/F – NIGERIA

THE ALIMA ASSOCIATION

ALIMA’S ETHOS: ALIMA’s purpose is to save lives and provide care for the most vulnerable populations, without any discrimination based on identity, religion or politics, through actions based on proximity, innovation, and the alliance of organizations and individuals. We act with humanity and impartiality in accordance with universal medical ethics. To gain access to patients, we undertake to act in a neutral and independent manner.

Our CHARTER defines the VALUES and PRINCIPLES of our action:

1. Patient First – Patient centered medical care
2. Revolutionizing humanitarian medicine through research
3. Responsibility and freedom: encourage decision-making by those closest to patients
4. Commitment to a dynamic of continuous quality improvement
5. Creating a climate of trust among colleagues
6. Collective intelligence
7. Environmental liability

CARING – INNOVATING – TOGETHER:

Since its creation in 2009, ALIMA has treated more than 6 million patients. Today ALIMA works in 12 countries in Western and Central Africa. In 2020, we developed 41 humanitarian medical response projects to meet the needs of populations affected by conflict, epidemics and extreme poverty. All of these projects support national health authorities through nearly 330 health structures (including 28 hospitals and 300 health centres). We work in partnership, especially with local NGOs, whenever
possible to ensure that our patients benefit from the expertise wherever it is, whether in their country or the rest of the world. In addition, to improve the humanitarian response, we are carrying out operational and clinical research projects, particularly in the field of the fight against malnutrition and haemorrhagic viral fevers. ALIMA is also leading operations in response to the covid-19 pandemic across all of our missions.

ALIMA’S TEAM: More than 2000 people currently work for ALIMA. The field teams, as close as possible to the patients, receive their support from the coordination teams generally based in the capitals of the countries of intervention. These teams receive support from the 4 desk teams and the emergency and opening service team based at the operational headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. The Paris and New York teams are actively working on fundraising as well as representing ALIMA. The rest of the ALIMA Galaxy includes individuals and partner teams who work on behalf of other organizations such as medical NGOs BEFEN, ALERTE Santé, SOS Médecins / KEOOGO, AMCP, research organizations PACCI, INSERM, Universities of Bordeaux or Copenhagen, the NGO Solidarities International and many others.

COUNTRIES WHERE WE WORK IN 2021: Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, South Sudan, Mauritania, Senegal, Sudan, Ethiopia and Ukraine.

THE WORK WE DO covers: Primary and Secondary Health Care, with a main focus on children and women – including treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition, maternal health, mental health, response to epidemics (Ebola, Cholera, Measles, Dengue, Lassa Fever), surgery, displaced populations, and gender based violence, Covid 19.

ALIMA in NIGERIA

ALIMA has been present in Nigeria since 2016. Its actions are part of a regional response strategy to health and nutrition emergencies, with a focus on pediatric, maternal-infant and epidemic interventions. ALIMA is present in North-East Nigeria in Borno State (MMC and Jere LGAs) and in Yobe State (Bade and Karasuwa LGAs) where it provides outpatient and inpatient healthcare and nutrition services for IDPs and host communities. In North-West Nigeria, ALIMA is in Katsina State (Kaita LGA) to respond to increased nutritional needs. ALIMA is present in the South-West, in Ondo State (Owo LGA) where teams are treating patients for Lassa fever and conducting research into improved treatment.

Since the rapid increase in Lassa Fever cases in 2018, ALIMA has been supporting the NCDC and the State Ministry of Health in Owo (Ondo State) with case management, active case detection, patient triage, public awareness campaigns, and reinforcement of the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures. As of today, ALIMA is intervening in Federal Medical Centre of Owo (FMCO) to support the response to the outbreak by providing free laboratory and clinical care for suspected and confirmed cases of Lassa fever. In 2019-2020, ALIMA set up a Viral Haemorrhagic Fever laboratory in Owo to improve patients’ care by providing fast and high-quality diagnoses. ALIMA also supports ancillary healthcare structures to care for patients during outbreaks, takes on community outreach activities and has sensitised more than 6 500 people to Lassa fever.

One of the ALIMA’s strategic priorities is to promote research against viral hemorrhagic fevers in Africa. To save more lives, new and more effective Lassa fever treatment drugs are urgently required. In addition to prevention and case management, ALIMA is currently coordinating the INTEGRATE clinical trial platform to identify new therapeutic alternatives to treat Lassa fever and test their efficacy, tolerance and safety. A Phase II-III trial is currently being set up in the area. Three arms will be assessed and compared to the Standard of Care Drug (SCD). Its primary objective is to compare the efficacy of each Investigational Medical Product (IMP) to SCD to prevent death or organ failure in hospitalized patients with confirmed LF. INTEGRATE brings together social science researchers, operational experts and local partners with experience in Lassa fever awareness activities to work with local communities to fight misinformation on clinical trials and Lassa fever, destigmatize the disease, and prevent future outbreaks.

MISSION LOCATION AND  OBJECTIVES

The Medical Referent of the ALIMA Owo Project is the ALIMA representative and responsible for the implementation of research program/medical activities in Ondo and other LGAs if needed. He/She is the linkage between field team, researchers, coordination and community.

In close collaboration with the Project Coordinator, the Research team, Medical Coordinator, and Mission Coordination team, He/She will define and plan the project objectives and priorities, the risks and constraints, calculating human and financial needs. Cultivate the relationship with the FMCO/MOH stakeholders in order to implement efficiently and ensure the goals as well as to improve targeted population’s health conditions and humanitarian situation.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Ensure the implementation of all ALIMA medical and research activities follow relevant policies, protocols, ethics and national guidelines. 

Medical activities

Ensures quality of care, in accordance with Owo FMC and ALIMA procedures, national and international regulations.

Supervise full implementation of safety and health protocols, reporting to the Medical Coordination and Project Coordinator on risky behaviours, in order to ensure safe working conditions for the project staff. Implement the health policy for national staff; provides all prophylactic and preventive necessary measures, structures and emergency plans; manages any medical evacuation in order to ensure ALIMA staff health. 

Ensure a quality of data collection and epidemiological surveillance system, in agreement with the medical coordination. Participate in the planning, management of epidemics, disasters, in conjunction with the WHO, State DNO, MoH, Primary healthcare and other local leaders: LGA health sector meetings, technical meetings, partner coordination meetings, etc.

Disseminate key messages and guidance to medical staff.  Relay relevant information from the field (safety/security incidents, outbreaks, etc.) to the Project Coordinator and Medical Coordination. 

Participate with the collaboration of the PC, in different assessments in external states and drafting of the proposal. 

• Participate in the community lassa fever intervention.
• With support of the PC, steer and supervise the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project in collaboration with the project team and according to the internal and donor indicators in order to evaluate the level of achievement of the project objectives.

Clinical trial

• Contribute to the operation and running of INTEGRATE clinical Trial where appropriate by providing clinical advice on the relevance of research projects and attending research coordination meetings. 
• Ensures that the protocol, Good Clinical Practices and ethical aspects are respected by the entire team.
• Coordinate and supervise the work of the Clinical Research Team (Physicians and Nurses), ensure that their work is done in accordance with the protocol and procedures of the studies. Ensure the quality of the recruitment processes.
•  Ensure the quality and continuity of information exchange between the Research laboratory and the Lassa centre (ICRC): compliance with procedures, quality of communication between the two departments).
• Ensure effective collaboration with other departments of the hospital (emergency room, dialysis unit, paediatrics, gynaecology …). 
• Report to the coordination team any problems or difficulties encountered in the field and discuss ways to resolve them. 
• Participate actively in different program activities based on ALIMA’s charter, policies and image are respected with regards to national employees, populations, authorities and partners.

Pharmacy management 

• Manage the project pharmacy to ensure efficiency and validate medical orders to the central pharmacy for project activities. 
• Supervise all medical orders for program implementation at the project level with the support of the project team, and collaborate with the coordination team and project team for the international and national medical orders.
• Monitor consumption and liaise with medical coordination regarding needs in order to avoid stock-outs in the consumption unit. Also support the pharmacy supervisor on the supply on medical items.
• Provide inputs on the budget processes, work plan, procurement plan, and participate in the monitoring of the budget consumption to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency.

#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-k5gsndxp-07b63d36aec9d99348061f1c7cdf9b77{height:30px}