Consultant, Senior Public Health Specialist

About the Project

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has launched a dedicated Metropolitan Disease Surveillance Strengthening component under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), covering 20 cities across India. Supported by the World Bank through Transforming India’s Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP), PATH has been selected as a key partner by the World Bank in setting up a Technical Support Unit (TSU) to provide expert guidance on this initiative. The TSU will offer technical backstopping and strategic direction during the initial two years of the program, leveraging global experience and best practices. The primary objective is to facilitate the design and implementation of the metropolitan disease surveillance program, address operational challenges, and share insights and innovations as global public goods.

Position Overview

The Consultant – Senior Public Health Specialist will play a critical role within the TSU, guiding the strategic implementation, monitoring, and refinement of the metropolitan disease surveillance program. This individual will work closely with national health authorities and stakeholders to ensure the program's success and sustainability.

**Duty Location: National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi**

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Provide expert guidance on the design, implementation, and scaling up of the Metropolitan Disease Surveillance program, ensuring alignment with national health priorities and international best practices.
• Support the development and operationalization of surveillance strategies, frameworks, and tools to enhance metropolitan disease surveillance capabilities.
• Identify key enablers and barriers to the successful implementation of the program and propose strategic solutions for overcoming challenges.
• Conduct implementation research, capturing and documenting innovations and best practices, and preparing policy briefs for scaling successful interventions.
• Develop options papers and recommendations on private sector engagement and partnership opportunities to strengthen metropolitan disease surveillance efforts.
• Coordinate with government counterparts, development partners, and technical agencies to ensure integrated and multi-sectoral approaches to surveillance.
• Geospatial Epidemiology: Study and provide expertise on geospatial epidemiology tools and their application in predicting disease outbreaks and identifying vulnerable populations.
• Contribute to capacity-building efforts, including training and mentoring of relevant health professionals at national and state levels to enhance surveillance and response systems.
• Prepare and present technical reports, policy briefs, and documentation of key program milestones to the NCDC, the World Bank, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Education: MBBS with post-graduate specialization in Community Medicine/Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) or equivalent.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 15 years of professional experience in public health, with a strong focus on disease surveillance, public health systems, and program implementation at the national or state level.
  • At least 10 years of hands-on experience in disease surveillance projects, with a proven track record of leading and managing public health initiatives.
• Sector Expertise: In-depth knowledge of disease surveillance systems, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), infectious diseases, and public health infrastructure, particularly in urban settings.
• Partnerships: Experience collaborating with national and state health agencies, including NCDC, and IDSP, as well as technical partners such as WHO and CDC, is preferred.

Essential Skills:

• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in English and Hindi, with the ability to articulate complex information clearly and concisely.
• Project Management: Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and timelines efficiently.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and familiarity with web-based research tools.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with government counterparts, donors, and development partners at both national and state levels.
• Health Systems Knowledge: Familiarity with the Indian health system, particularly disease surveillance initiatives such as IHIP, IDSP, and key national programs like NHM, Ayushman Bharat, PM-ABHIM, and the XV-FC.
• Flexibility: Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time for program-related activities.