PATH is a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, finance, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales innovative solutions—including vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide.
The global community including the scientific society, private sector, civil society, governments, United Nations, and philanthropists among others have formed the Access to COVID 19 Tools-Accelerator (ACT-A) aimed at reducing mortality and severe diseases through accelerated development, equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of vaccines, Therapeutics, and diagnostics. The downstream effort is to support efficient delivery of the ACT-A products to people (through health systems) thereby protecting health systems, restoring societies and economies.
In furtherance of the ACT-A vaccination goal; GAVI, WHO, CEPI and UNICEF have established the Covax facility to ensure accelerated development, equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally by the end of year 2021. The COVID-19 Global Vaccine Access Facility (Covax Facility) pools resources and shares vaccine development risk.
In line with these developments, a time-frame for vaccine deployment has been proposed to guide country preparedness. Overall guidance for phased vaccination of target populations at-risk has been provided together with readiness assessment tools. The baseline assessment for Uganda stands at 36% on the strength of its institutional mechanisms for mass vaccine deployment accrued over time.
Against this background, PATH would like to hire the services of a consultant to undertake a short-term assignment to develop guidelines for collection and disposal of medical waste to the relevant stakeholders prior to the introduction of COVID-19 vaccine in Uganda. The consultancy will last for a period of 30 days between January 18, 2021 and February 15, 2021 and will be executed in Uganda.
General objective:
The general objective of this consultancy is to Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs)/ guidelines for collection and disposal of medical waste to the relevant stakeholders for introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda
Responsibilities:
The specific responsibilities of the consultancy will include the following.
- Review of the existing mechanism for management of medical waste in relation to vaccines waste management through engagement of the relevant stakeholders
- Identify existing gaps in waste management during Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) such as mass campaigns
- Develop clear Standard Operating procedures or guidelines for improved waste handling during SIAs.
- Present draft SOPs to the vaccines and logistics subcommittee for stakeholder review
- Disseminate the final SOPs for waste management to relevant EPI advisory committees
Deliverables:
Complete SOPs/guidelines developed, ready for printing and dissemination