Surgical Oncology Consultant

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Qualifications

1.       Purpose of the Consultancy

The primary objective of this consultancy:

·         Assessing and upgrading surgical oncology services, including infrastructure, workforce skills, and clinical protocols.

·         Training and mentoring surgical teams in evidence-based oncologic procedures and perioperative care.

·         Establishing multidisciplinary surgical oncology incorporating dedicated units for surgical oncology  and integrating early detection and patient navigation pathways.

·         Supporting strategic planning and policy development in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the National Cancer Control Program, and key institutions: the Cancer Center at Ali Abad Teaching Hospital and regional hospitals at the targeted provinces under EU Project.

2.       Background

Cancer continues to pose a significant public health burden in Afghanistan, with particularly limited access to specialized cancer care including surgical oncology services. In parallel to the ongoing efforts made to improve chemotherapy, early detection, and palliative care, the surgical component of cancer treatment remains critically underdeveloped. Timely and effective surgical intervention is essential for improving survival outcomes, especially for cancers that are curable through surgery when detected early.

To address this gap, the WHO Afghanistan Country Office seeks to engage a Surgical Oncology Consultant who will provide technical expertise to strengthen surgical oncology capacity nationwide.

This targeted consultancy will complement ongoing efforts in chemotherapy and palliative care, ensuring a more comprehensive and integrated cancer control strategy for Afghanistan.

3.Planned timelines (subject to confirmation)

Start date:  01/10/2026

End date: 31/01/2027

The consultancy will for four months full-time with a total of 80 working days at the duty station, with possible extension based on performance and evolving needs.

4.Work to be performed:

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Output 1: 1.: Conduct Service Assessment for the surgical oncology, including key findings and recommendations:

Oncology Services Assessment:

·         Conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing oncology services, including infrastructure, workforce, service delivery, and access to the surgical treatment at the NCCP and regional Hospitals.

·         Identify gaps and challenges in the field of surgical oncology and develop an action plan to address the gaps with evidence-based solutions.

·         Leading the technical aspects of the establishment of quality surgical department withing the National Cancer Control Center, Ali Abd Cancer Centre and surgical teams at the Regional Hospitals.

·         Adopt WHO /Develop evidence-based surgical oncology protocols and practices within for the key cancer facilities, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach.

·         Collaborate with the Ministry of Health to discuss and develop a national cancer control plan, aiming for alignment with WHO and global guidelines and best practices in surgical oncology.

·         Advocate for the integration of surgical oncology into the national health strategy and cancer control framework.

·          Implement rigorous auditing of surgical morbidities and mortalities to continually improve quality of care.

·         Ensure every surgical decision is made within a modern, multidisciplinary context, integrating inputs from medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, and diagnostic radiology.

·         Establish or revise peri-operative and post-operative care procedures, with special attention to local context and resource levels.

Deliverable 1.1:  Surgical Oncology Service Assessment Report.

Deliverable 1.2: Developed of evidence-based national surgical oncology protocols and practices.

Output 2:  Conduct the surgical oncology training along with providing surgical oncology care to the cancer patients.

Training and Capacity Building

·         Establish a structured, hands-on training program for young Afghan surgeons. The curriculum will focus on modern surgical techniques, principles of tumor biology, and advanced diagnostic interpretation. Provide training for surgeons on surgical treatment including staging work up, preoperative and postoperative care.

·         Develop local guidelines and SOPs for surgical treatment of the most common cancers.

·         On-site and distant training for the health professionals on the surgical treatment of cancer patients.

Deliverable 2.1: Developed training materials and drafted clinical guidelines.

Deliverable 2.2: Technical Report on the conducted training on surgical treatment and number of young surgeons trained in surgical oncology.

5.Technical Supervision

The selected Consultant will work on the supervision of:

1.       Specific requirements

- Qualifications required:        

Essential:

Master’s Degree or above in Surgical Oncology.

- Experience required:

·         5 to 10 years of clinical experience in surgical oncology services in a similar low resources settings with international experience is mandatory

·         Experience in training healthcare professionals and establishing multidisciplinary teams.

·         Strong background in policy development and stakeholder engagement, particularly with Cancer Centres and networks.

·         

- Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

·         Skilled in analytical writing to produce clear and concise technical reports.

• Excellent communication, coordination, and report-writing skills.

• Ability to provide evidence-based recommendations and guidance for Cancer technical packages.

·         Experience in developing tools and templates for cancer evaluations and assessments.

- Language requirements:

     Expert knowledge of English.

 Place of assignment

     The consultancy will span e four months in person at the duty station: Kabul, Afghanistan.

2.       Medical clearance

     The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

3.       Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel according to the itinerary and estimated schedule below:

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil  visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

Additional Information

·         This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
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