Under the overall guidance of the Head of Sub-office, the Associate Public Health Officer will support Implementing and Operational partner agencies’ health activities in Arua Sub-office Refugee settlements. H/she plays a key role in planning, organising, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of UNHCR’s public health programmes for all persons of concern in Rhino camp, Imvepi, Lobule and Kiryandongo settlments. This will include undertaking regular field trips in order to monitor and support the implementation of health activities to refugees; monitor refugee access to health services and the impact on the national systems in different refugee settlements, ensure feedback relating to key public health data is provided by health partners, relevant UN agencies, Ministry of Health at local level; develop project activities to address identified needs. This will be done in consultation with Ministry of Health authorities, NGO partners in the health sector and through liaison with other sectors within UNHCR (WASH, protection, community services, programme, etc.) to ensure a multi-sectoral approach. This position is the main liaison with the Ministry of Health in in West Nile settlements which involves attending district health team meetings, refugee health coordination meeting with District Health Offices on a regular basis to ensure health services are integrated. The position also has a key role liaising with international and national health partners, donors and other UN agencies as a key member of the UNHCR Health Unit. .

Functional statement:
Coordination and Partnership
• In the absence of more senior public health staff, co-ordinate public health, reproductive health, nutrition and HIV activities within the Area of Responsibility (AOR) in support of the government’s responses and in conjunction with other UN agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other partners, including development actors to ensure delivery of public health and nutrition services to beneficiaries (POC and host community) meet UNHCR and /or nationally recognised and most up-to-date standards and policies.
• With support from the supervisor and Public Health Section in HQ, support the Operation to define the level and scope of UNHCR’s involvement in public health and nutrition responses in terms of overall and operational objectives during emergency situations and beyond.
• Support the Operation’s engagement in the public health related aspects of contributions of major donors to refugee responses, including the World Bank; taking part in assessments, design of projects, monitoring and evaluation.
• In line with the Global Compact on Refugees work with governments and humanitarian and development partners to ensure a complementary approach to meet the health needs of POCs.
• Represent UNHCR in health coordination and other meetings including inter-sectoral groups such as Technical Working Groups for MHPSS and nutrition.
• Engage in relevant partnership fora, including in line with UNHCR’s role as a UNAIDS co-sponsor of the Joint Programme on AIDS and co-lead with WFP of the Division of Labour area of HIV in Humanitarian Settings.
• Support operational collaboration with WFP including the implementation of Joint Assessment Missions and corresponding Joint Plans of Action in line with global commitments on targeting of assistance to meet basic needs and data sharing to support assistance distribution (in collaboration with programme and protection colleagues),
• Support robust and timely emergency responses to new refugee influxes or outbreaks or other situations in line with the Public Health Emergency Toolkit and UNHCR’s Emergency Handbook and the SPHERE Handbook.

Strategic planning and development
• Contribute to the implementation of UNHCR’s Strategic Plan for Public Health and adaptation at country level.
• Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for refugees’, returnees’ and other POC’s access to local public health, reproductive health (RH) and HIV, MHPSS and nutrition services (including food assistance where relevant) and lobby for inclusion of refugees, returnees and other POC as a specific group in government policies and plans related to health, RH and HIV as well as major donor programmes such as the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria.
• Make recommendations on the overall strategy and focus of public health and nutrition programmes within the AOR, including ensuring public health strategic approaches are developed in a multi-sectoral and co-ordinated manner.
• Provide up to date assessments and identification of needs for public health strategies, recognise and support the contributions of governments and other actors align with and support national health system as much as possible;
• Contribute to public health strategies addressing known gaps in health and nutrition programming based on country-specific needs assessments with due consideration to neonatal and maternal health care, TB, HIV and viral hepatitis, non-communicable diseases including mental health; palliative care, health services for LGBTI individuals, health and protection services for persons selling sex and programming for persons with disabilities including access to assistive technologies and appropriate associated services, adolescents and the elderly.
• Support the development and monitoring of country specific medium to long term inclusion plans in support of the Ministry of Health and other relevant Ministries (e.g. Social Welfare) and in partnership with development and other actors.
• Work with stakeholders, including UN agencies, NGOs, Ministries of Health and academic institutions in the development of public health response plans associated with refugee movements (including in repatriation programmes).
• Maintain and update contingency plans within the AOR for potential epidemics, refugee and returnee movements.

Technical integrity and risk mitigation
• Update and disseminate standard practices on public health, MHPSS, nutrition, HIV and reproductive health among partners.
• Support the prioritization of primary health care (including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care)
• Monitor, in close co-ordination with other humanitarian actors, that health care services provided to POC are based on Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognized and most up-to-date standards and policies.
• Adapt UNHCR internal operating procedures to ensure they are in line with UNHCR and/or international standards and improve efficiency of programme activities; this includes – but is not limited to – referral health care, medicines and medical supplies procurement and management, medical resettlement and resettlement of persons with health needs, cash-based assistance for health care coverage and referral between units and inter-sectoral collaboration.
• Monitor and support compliance with, and integrity of, all public health standard operating procedures in conjunction with Project Control and Programme staff and in line with delegated authorities, including flagging to senior managers when these are not in line with global guidance or not being followed.

Collaboration
• Support linkages of public health to WASH programmes throughout all stages of the programme cycle including in outbreak preparedness and response, emergency responses to refugee influxes, WASH in health facilities, and menstrual hygiene management.
• Support inter-sector collaboration throughout all stages of programme cycle between public health and nutrition with WASH, education, environment, shelter, and protection in order to promote synergies and maximise impact.
• Participate in the review and analysis of relevant project proposals and budgetary submissions presented by UNHCR partners within the context of the UNHCR programming cycle and highlight divergence from internationally accepted standards.
• Seek the diverse views of men, women, girls and boys, adolescents, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and LGBTI in assessing needs, designing, implementing and monitoring responses in line with UNHCR’s policy on age, gender and diversity mainstreaming.
• Support the implementation of the UNHCR Health Information System and other relevant data collection tools including the balanced scorecard, maternal and neonatal death audits, Health Access and Utilisation Survey and other corporate tools where relevant; support the analysis, interpretation and use of public health data.
• Advocate for the inclusion of refugees and other POC in national surveys such as demographic and health surveys, multi-indicator cluster surveys, AIDS indicator surveys including where possible a separate sample for refugees allowing for comparisons and trend analysis over time.
• Support national health systems to disaggregate data by refugee and nationals in key areas based on country specific needs in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Support the monitoring of public health and nutrition programmes against standard UNHCR and international indicators, to ensure that programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner.
• Support the planning, implementation, analysis, dissemination and use of nutritional surveys (Standardized Expanded Nutrition Surveys, SENS), health-related surveys and post-distribution monitoring exercises (in collaboration with WFP).
• In line with policies for Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) ensure POC have access to feedback and accountability mechanisms relating to public health and nutrition services including the collection and analysis of data on their satisfaction with regards to public health and nutrition services.
• Prepare regular sectoral reports and submit material for preparation of periodic project monitoring reports as required by the office at country level.
• Provide timely updates to enable adequate reporting and briefings to donors and management.

Capacity Building
• Support capacity strengthening of UNHCR and its implementing partners to address public health, nutrition, reproductive health, HIV, MHPSS programming in a co-ordinated, multi-sectoral way and disseminate relevant guidelines and information materials.
• Undertake and/or support capacity building needs assessments of UNHCR staff and partners and develop approaches to address capacity gaps including identifying internal and external training opportunities.
• Perform other related duties as required

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience:
• University degree in Medicine with qualifications in Public Health or related fields or clinical background is required.
• Minimum 3 years previous working experience in the field of public health, preferably in refugee settings and/or emergency situations is required.