Purpose: To provide technical assistance on COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring, in the ongoing and routine vaccine vigilance activities, and to support the everyday management and implementation of a robust vaccine pharmacovigilance system, and strengthen the functional AEFI surveillance system in the country.
Salary Not Available
Location: Harar at regional and zonal level
Duration:12 months (1st July 2022 to 30 June 2023) with the possibility of extension based on the satisfactory and above performance
No.of consultant: 04
Start Date: July 2022
Reporting to: Product Safety Directorate, EFDA and UNICEF
Background:
World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, WHO's highest level of urgency.On 11 March, WHO made theassessment that COVID-19 could be characterized as a pandemic. On March13, 2020 the first confirmedCOVID- case was declared by the Ministryof Health of Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) is the National Regulatory Authority responsible to protect and promote the public health by ensuring that medicinal products (pharmaceuticals, biologicals including vaccines, blood products, and other biological) are of acceptable quality, safety and efficacy, are manufactured, distributed and uses in ways which ensure their quality until they reach the patient/consumer/, and their commercial promotion is accurate.
The Authority is also responsible for the safety of food supply, cosmetics, Dietary supplements, safety, quality and effectiveness of medical products, and public health aspects of tobacco products. To carry out its responsibility of ensuring the Quality, safety, and effectiveness of EFDA-regulated medical products; the Authority Organizes itself in different regulatory functions.
One of the Authority's highest priorities is ensuring the quality, safety, and effectiveness of Medicines, Biological products and vaccines in general and COVID-19 vaccines safety monitoring. AEFI surveillance system focuses on vaccine safety, and it utilizes tools such as guidelines and procedures geared to assure public health protection using vaccines with proven safety profiles and ensure quality. The current system for monitoring drug safety (pham1acovigilance) is being coordinated by the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) under the Product Safety Directorate.
Therefore, the technical assistance for COVID-19 Vaccine safety monitoring and Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) Surveillance will responsible and cover the various activities and deliverables within the introduction of COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring, in the ongoing and routine vaccinovigilance activities, and to support the everyday management and implementation of robust vaccine pharmacovigilance system and strengthen functional AEFI surveillance system in the assigned regions and zones.
Purpose of the position:
To provide technical assistance on COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring, in the ongoing androutine vaccinovigilance activities, and to support the everyday management and implementation of robust vaccine pharmacovigilance system and strengthen functional AEFI surveillance system in the assigned regions and zones.
Specific Tasks:
Reporting:
The Technical Assistance for COVID_19 Vaccinesafety monitoring and Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) Surveillance will be assigned to the regional/zonal EFDA office and will be reported to the pharmacovigilance and clinical trial team under the product safety directorate of regional EFDA. In addition, the technical assistance should have smooth technical communication and relation with RHB and the regional/zonal EPI program.
Expected Deliverables and Time frame:
Deliverables | Deadline |
An in-depth desk review of the pharmacovigilance system was conducted and a preliminary situation analysis report was submitted. | Initial and quarterly |
Submission of an improvement plan for the phannacovigilance system. | Initial and bi-annual |
Meeting documentation on consultation and validation meetings of the improvement plan with the main private and public stakeholders involved. | Quarterly |
Workshops were conducted with key stakeholders to adopt the AESI guidelines to the country context | Initial and bi-annual |
Training modules developed for personnel involved in the pharmacovigilance system the centra l and regional level | Bi-annual |
Regional level ToT was conducted on pharmacovigilance and vaccine safety surveillance. | Quarterly |
Surveillance tools and training modules adapted to include immunization safety surveillance in pregnant and lactating women who have received COVID19 vaccines, as well as their respective children | Initial and bi-annual |
A budget estimate was developed for the five-year pharmacovigilance improvement plan. | Bi-annual |
Technical guidelines was pharmacovigilance reviewed for carrying out vaccineefficacy studies against COVID19 and rep01i submitted. | Bi-annual |
Submission of regular monitoring and evaluationreports | Quarterly |
Prepared andshared the technical reporting of the mid-term project | Bi-annual |
Submission of the finalreport | Annual |
Payment Modality & schedule:
The fees for this contract shall be paid on monthly basis based on the submission of monthly reports against the deliverables indicated above final report evaluation reports and shared vaccine efficacy.
Expected educational background and experience:
Core competencies:
Note:
Policy both parties should be aware of: