PATH is an international organization that drives transformative innovation to save lives and improve health, especially among women and children. We accelerate innovation through five platforms – vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, devices and innovations in systems and services – that leverage our entrepreneurial vision, scientific and public health expertise, and our passion for health equity. By mobilizing partners, we bring innovation to scale, working alongside countries, primarily in Africa and Asia, to address their greatest health needs. Together, we achieve measurable results that break the cycle of poor health.

PATH’s work in Mozambique focuses on improving the health, nutrition, and development of vulnerable 0–3 year-olds and their caregivers. We build the capacity of both governmental and non-governmental partners to ensure that children and their caregivers receive a holistic package of services. We currently work in Maputo, Nampula and Zambezia Provinces.

PATH intends to recruit a Consultant to support typhoid data gathering in Mozambique

Background

Typhoid, a serious and sometimes fatal enteric fever spread through contaminated food and water, is a substantial public health issue that disproportionately affects children and low-income populations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Although typhoid has been largely eliminated in industrialized countries, it continues to be a substantial public health problem in many low- and middle-income countries. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study estimates that in 2019, there were more than 9 million cases and more than 110,000 deaths due to typhoid worldwide.

The Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium (TyVAC) is a partnership of several institutions, working to combat typhoid through a multidisciplinary strategy. PATH is responsible for supporting countries in decision-making and preparation for sustained typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) introduction. To date, TCV has been introduced in Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, Samoa, and Zimbabwe. More than 50 million children have been vaccinated with TCV to date. Other countries are currently in advanced stage of decision-making or introduction plans.

Mozambique is considered to have high burden of typhoid. However, typhoid burden is likely underestimated due to difficulties in surveillance and diagnostic shortfalls.  Current trends of drug resistance, climate change, and urbanization heighten the risk for typhoid outbreaks.

Scope of Work

PATH’s role, as part of TyVAC, is to support countries with the decision-making process for introduction of TCVs. To engage decision-makers in Mozambique on new vaccine introduction conversations about TCV, PATH is seeking a consultant to support data gathering and compilation. The consultant will be tasked with gathering relevant typhoid burden data and compiling it into a report for Mozambican decision-makers.

Activities

• Conduct a stakeholder mapping to identify typhoid / TCV stakeholders and decision-makers in Mozambique.
• Provide an outline of proposed data gathering strategy, including facilities / sites to visit, review of published literature, and other activities of gathering data.
• Conduct data gathering exercises to identify typhoid incidence and prevalence and burden of drug-resistant typhoid.
• Identify data that serves as proxy indicators for typhoid, including intestinal perforations, WASH data, and typhoid burden data for Mozambique as well as neighboring countries.
• Review environmental surveys, surveillance data, and other lab / clinical data available to identify cases of typhoid.
• Compile data into a brief narrative report.
• Create a PowerPoint slide deck that presents the data and accompanies the narrative report.