Global Health Consultant Microbiologist

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH REGULATIONS STRENGTHENING PROJECT (IHR-SP) The International Health Regulations (IHR) Strengthening Project is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded project designed to improve IHR capability in selected countries and regions with medium and long-term activities taking place through partnerships with National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in several countries in Africa and Asia. Currently the IHR-SP partner countries are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Zambia; the IHR-SP also has teams working with Africa CDC and with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These countries may change as project evolves. The overall delivery of the IHR-SP is overseen by the Head of Project and the Senior Leadership Team, with devolved responsibility to Country Leads and teams for delivery of all agreed country and region-specific work plans.
The individual work plans are co-developed with our national public health and ministry of health partners and are based on identified areas within the JEE where technical support has been requested. The projects first implementation phase was between 2016 and 2021. The second funding cycle commenced in April 2022 and completed in March 2025. The current project cycle is funded until March 2026 with plans progressing for a further funding bid for the next three years.
The project has a triple mandate to strengthen technical capability, strengthen leadership and develop sustainable public health systems. It does this through working at national level in partnerships with NPHIs and Ministries and at a regional level with regional bodies such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET) as well as regional WHO. Its work programmes are delivered in collaboration with other public health institutes and ministries and aligned to a One HMG approach. IHR-SP aims to establish a portfolio of tailored technical support for selected countries and regions, to improve compliance with the WHO International Health Regulations 2005.
These are a set of legally binding regulations aimed at strengthening national public health structures and global health security (see link below). Project activities are closely aligned and supportive of country priorities for health system improvement and based on the specific IHR strengthening needs and requests by partner countries and regions. The IHR-SP has three objectives 1. Build technical capability 2.
Develop sustainable public health systems 3. Strengthen leadership The post-holder will work in partnership with the members of the IHR-SP laboratory team, in-country colleagues and IHR-SP teams in other technical areas to implement the IHR project activities, supporting their engagement with national public health institutes (NPHI) and ministries of health (MoH) and other country partners, aimed at strengthening laboratory capability and capacity. The post-holder will advise on the delivery of continuing skills development for local laboratory personnel, focusing on traditional and molecular diagnostics tests and safe and quality assured use of laboratory equipment and including wider principles for laboratory diagnosis for public health emergencies, as well as encouraging and supporting the development of effective public health laboratory networks. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The post-holder will work with and advise the in-county team in their efforts to support public health institute/ministry of health laboratories in partner countries, with the aim of strengthening and building capacity in infectious diseases diagnosis and surveillance.
This will involve developing strong relationships with key stakeholders from across UKHSA, with in-country partners and other relevant organisations to strengthen technical capacity, laboratory workforce leadership skills and public health microbiology and infection networks and surveillance systems in collaboration with IHR partner countries. Working with the IHR-SP lead for laboratory strengthening, specific areas of work towards this aim may include (but are not necessarily limited to) provision of support and advice to UK based IHR laboratory scientists, IHR-SP in-country lead and technical advisors, NPHI/ministry of health laboratory leadership teams and key stakeholders from other relevant organisations. The main duties and responsibilities include to: Strengthen quality-assurance methods of infectious disease diagnostics including antimicrobial susceptibility test Advise and influence senior stakeholders to ensure they have robust laboratory biosafety and biosecurity Advise senior stakeholders to ensure they have effective laboratory workflow design Provide technical expertise to develop laboratory data management and laboratory based surveillance Strengthen technical capability to develop laboratory standard operating procedures (SoPs) Influence senior stakeholders to create robust labor