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 maternal Immunization data gathering in Mozambique

Background

Maternal immunization (MI) has emerged as a promising tool against addressing early childhood infectious diseases. Several new maternal vaccine candidates, designed to protect young infants against illnesses (such as RSV and GBS), are in development and some of the products are expected to be available for global use within the next few years. Global stakeholders are optimistic that MI interventions, when available, can be successfully integrated into the existing health system platforms across low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Currently available vaccines provided to pregnant women, such as tetanus toxoid-containing vaccines, are delivered leveraging parts of the antenatal care (ANC) platform. Introducing novel maternal vaccines through the existing health systems will require adaptations, specifically within the immunization programs and maternal health services programs, to establish conducive platforms for delivery. Developing clear delivery strategies is critical to support decision making around MI.

As global and country decision makers engage in exploring feasible mechanisms to deliver MI, cost of delivery is one critical factor for consideration. To date, few estimates are available of the delivery costs of vaccines for pregnant women in LMICs and none of the existing studies yet consider new maternal vaccines such as RSV or GBS vaccines specifically, which may necessitate the need for an integrated delivery platform. The potential costs of establishing a MI delivery platform and the costs associated with recurrent delivery are unknown.

Scope of work

While MI interventions are being developed, PATH is working to expand the health economic evidence to inform decisions about future MI interventions. Specifically, PATH seeks to examine the costs of establishing a MI platform and the recurrent costs of delivering MI in four LMICs: Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana, and Mozambique. Understanding the costs associated with delivering MI interventions would allow global and in-country policy makers to better understand the cost implications of the different intervention and delivery strategy options and inform decision-making and planning around further use of the interventions.

PATH will conduct stakeholder consultations in a small workshop setting with a few, key representatives within the Ministry of Health (MOH) to define a MI platform within the respective country context, and to help better understand the strategies and activities necessary to integrate MI into their existing health service delivery systems.

The utility and validity of the cost of delivery projections will be dependent on the delivery strategies that are potentially feasible in each context. Given the MI interventions under consideration (for RSV and GBS) are not currently available, this study will take a prospective (cost projection) approach to estimate the potential costs of introducing and delivering such interventions. Costing analysis will follow the standard guidelines in estimating the potential costs of new vaccine introduction and delivery through the existing or an adapted health service delivery platform.

The consultant will work closely with the PATH Mozambique study team and the PATH HQ team to support the implementation of the MI cost of delivery study in Mozambique. The scope of support will entail participating in the stakeholder consultation workshop that will be organized by PATH, documenting the learnings of the workshop, leading the costing data collection to inform the cost of delivery analysis, and support cost of delivery analysis and manuscript writing. The consultant will work in collaboration with the PATH Mozambique team and will represent PATH in data collection activities.

The consultant responsibilities will include:

• In coordination with PATH country study lead, assist in obtaining ethical clearance for the study conduct as necessary.
• In coordination with the PATH country study team, identify and establish contacts within the Mozambique Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders to obtain necessary clearance for study conduct.
• Participate in the stakeholder consultation workshop in Mozambique and document the learnings that result from it in a report. The stakeholder meeting will bring together various in-country stakeholders (including key representatives within the MOH, academic groups, researchers) to discuss and deliberate on an MI platform for the country and help better understand the strategies and activities necessary to integrate MI into the existing health service delivery system.
• In coordination with the PATH country study lead, liaise, collaborate and convene necessary meetings with government officials and other stakeholders to ensure execution of the data collection implementation plan.
• Mapping of activities for maternal immunization intervention’s introduction and delivery in close collaboration with MOH focal points.
• Collect data on inputs resource needs and unit costs for all activities in close collaboration with MOH focal points.
• In coordination with the PATH team and MOH focal points, travel to health facilities to collect data, as necessary.
• Ensure data integrity, accuracy and quality of data.
• Participate in periodic calls and meetings to review the data.
• Assist in cost of delivery data analysis.
• Assist in manuscript writing.