About the job District Nutrition Officer ( Closing date 01-03-2024)
Position : District Nutrition Officer
No of positions : 5
Location: Rawalpindi, Kohat and Battagram
Pakistan is facing a triple burden of malnutrition, and women and children are among the hardest hit: nationally, as many as 40% of children under five are stunted, 18% are wasted, and between 12-14% of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age (WRA) are underweight. In addition, grave micronutrient deficiencies exist across the board: as many as half of Pakistans children under-five are anemic and Vitamin A deficient, with similar rates among WRA and adolescent girls. Deficiencies of iron, zinc and calcium are also strikingly high among all population groups. As many as half of all pregnant women are anemic; and of WRA, 38% are overweight and obese.
Gender equality and improved nutrition are mutually reinforcing: a womans empowerment status is interconnected with her nutritional status and NI believes that addressing underlying gendered barriers and constraints will improve nutritional outcomes in programming. This link is particularly evident in Pakistan where specific gender roles limit a womens ability to access and benefit from healthcare services.
Health Care Providers (HCPs) in both the public and private health system play a key role in reaching, engaging, and influencing women and their gate keepers (husbands, mothers-in-law) on essential health and nutrition actions. ANC and PNC are the main platforms for delivery of maternal health and nutrition interventions however, during ANC visits, only 15% of women report receiving information and counselling regarding nutrition. The frontline health workers including Lady Health Workers (LHWs), and Community Midwives (CMWs), have a key role in providing basic maternal health services at the community and household levels in mostly rural and far-flung areas. This represents a lost opportunity to advance womens health and well-being, including maximizing the uptake and impact of maternal nutrition interventions.
- Introduction
Position Title:
- District Nutrition Officer Female
- District Nutrition Officer - Male
Reports to/Position Title:
Medical Marketing Specialist (MMS) at Nutrition International Country Office
2. Role Purpose:
The key role of the position is to support in the implementation of maternal nutrition campaign project activities at the field level to achieve project targets as per project plans, under the guidance and leadership of Medical Marketing Specialist
District Nutrition Officer will implement the interpersonal component of the maternal nutrition campaign and support the targeted media campaign outreach in the targeted districts. The District Nutrition Officer will work closely with the Department of Health offices at district level and other key stakeholders including district representatives of professional medical associations.
3. Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the guidance and supervision of the Medical Marketing Specialist, the specific tasks of the position will include:
Project Development and Planning
- Support MMS in the development of projects district implementation plan.
- Develop weekly and monthly plans for activities of interpersonal communication (IPC) with Health Care Providers (HCPs) both public and private and Frontline Health Workers (FHWs)
- Support the development of district awareness events plan (conferences, seminars, and meetings) in consultation with NI, District Health Department and Professional Medical Associations.
Project Implementation and Management
- Support in the implementation of field level activities with DoH, HCPs/FHWs and Medical Associations for advancing the project activities on maternal nutrition campaign.
- Conduct a thorough mapping of assigned target area and identify all public and private HCPs and FHWs, to be reached during the campaign
- Maintain an updated database of public and private HCPs and FHWs in their target area
- Conduct one on one sessions with HCPs of public sector as well as private practitioners and FHWs for improving their knowledge, attitudes and practices for counselling the mothers and caregivers/ family influencers on nutrition
- Orient and sensitize the HCPs/FHWs on the diversity of nutrition, gravity of the issues, underlying causes and potential solutions/actions for improving the maternal nutrition among mothers
- Share the key messages with HCPs/FHWs during meetings with HCPs/FHWs and handover the information packs for further guiding the mothers and caregivers/ family influencers for nutrition
- Mobilize and motivate HCPs and FHWs for integrating maternal nutrition services in their regular service delivery
- Deliver specialized training sessions to enhance the capacity of healthcare providers in maternal nutrition.
- Support in implementation of innovative marketing skills to promote maternal nutrition concepts to healthcare providers and frontline health workers.
- Utilize marketing techniques to advocate for the adoption of ideas and behavioral changes related to maternal nutrition
- Through effective communication and counseling skills engage healthcare providers and frontline health worker on maternal nutrition
- Develop good relations with the stakeholders for supporting in the implementation of project activities. Conduct advocacy activities with district management and key stakeholders for strengthening maternal nutrition interventions
- Ensure completion of weekly and monthly activities plans, developed with the consultation and approval of MMS
- Establish a real time feedback mechanism from HCPs & FHWs to the project management regarding media products/messages and job aids[MA1]
- Identify Maternal Nutrition Champions among HCPs and FHWs, potential contenders for leader award
- Support Nutrition International in coordination with district/provincial government/s to support district/provincial level activities.
- Record minutes of the meetings and manage its issuance and circulation through the relevant channels of communication.
Monitoring and Reporting
- Develop and communicate/submit project updates for program management team as per agreed upon frequency
- Keep updated daily report record
- Draft events (seminars, conferences and meetings) minutes/reports.
- Support in development of case studies of role models (HCPs & FHWs) and best practices from the project
- Submit weekly and monthly progress report of district activities to Shifa Foundation for further sharing with Nutrition International and other relevant stakeholders.
- Serve as a focal person for providing periodic data for the monitoring and reporting purposes to the NI team as and when required.
- Support in conducting field monitoring, data collection and any relevant tasks necessary to support monitoring and reporting activities.
Others
Any additional task assigned by National Campaign Manager or NI Management
We dont have any feedback mechanism in this campaign.