Description

Consultancy to conduct health surveys in 3 refugee operations in Chad, Cameroon and Niger relating to maternal, neonatal, adolescent health, family planning and other aspects of reproductive health

Primary health care (PHC) and reproductive health services are an integral part of public health programmes within UNHCR. Sound PHC and reproductive health programming requires access to up-to-date health data to ensure evidence-based decisions. Women, girls and children are disproportionately affected in conflict and emergency situations. Neonatal deaths, defined as any death that occurs in the first 28 days of life, currently account for approximately 44 per cent of all deaths of children under five years of age in low- and middle- income countries. Approximately three-quarters of these deaths are early neonatal deaths that occur during the first week of life, including 36 per cent that occur within the first 24 hours after birth. In 2015 UNHCR developed Operational Guidelines to Improve Newborn Care in Refugee Operations. In line with UNHCR’s Global Strategy for Public Health (2014 – 2018) with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), UNHCR started a two-year project “Saving newborn lives in refugee situations”, aiming to improve maternal and neonatal care services focusing mainly on key low cost, high impact newborn interventions in South Sudan, Kenya and Jordan refugee sites. The project is now being expanded to Chad, Cameroon and Niger and including other aspects of reproductive health especially family planning. A baseline assessment using secondary data collection and qualitative methods is being conducted. A population-based survey is to be carried out to complement the other methods. **

The main purpose of this assignment is to conduct a population-based survey examining key indicators relating to maternal, newborn, family planning, menstrual hygiene management and other aspects of reproductive health in selected refugee settings in Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
Key expected outcomes of the consultancy:

•  develop survey tools and gather baseline data on key indicators relating to maternal, neonatal, adolescent health, family planning and other aspects of reproductive health amongst refugee populations to inform programmatic interventions.
• disseminate findings and recommendations to a broader audience to influence policy and strategy development relating to maternal, neonatal, and adolescent and other aspects of reproductive health in humanitarian populations.

Deliverables

•  Three final survey reports including background, methodology, findings, recommendations and limitations to be submitted at the end of each country assessment.
• The initial findings and major recommendations are to be presented to partners at the country level (oral presentation and PowerPoint slides).

Consideration will be given to different consultants for each country working with a harmonised tool and methodology.

Profile of the consultants

•  University degree or the equivalent, with advanced education in health and/or reproductive health and HIV.
•  at least 10 years’ experience in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health programmes, particularly in sexual and reproductive health, maternal health and newborn care preferably in programmes in low resource settings.
• significant experience in undertaking reproductive health surveys (design and methodologies, staff recruitment and training, field supervision; mobile data collection techniques and data analysis/write up).
•  be conversant in French.
•  fluent in English with excellent writing and presentation skills.