UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
For every child, Hope... Botswana has made important strides in its HIV response. In 2021, the country became the first with a generalized HIV epidemic that was certified the silver tier towards the path to elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, following a rigorous validation approach according to WHO guidance. Moreover, Botswana has become one of the first countries to achieve the global HIV treatment targets, reporting that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 98% of them are on HIV treatment, and 98% of those on treatment are virally suppressed. However, the global treatment targets have not been achieved for adolescents between the ages of 10-19. The treatment cascade for adolescents currently stands at 85-83-76. In addition, only 58% of children ages 0-14 living with HIV are accessing treatment. UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, CDC, Botswana-Baylor, and Sentebale, are implementing an innovative programme composed of a range of interventions aimed at tackling the HIV treatment gaps among children and adolescents. This includes but is not limited to trainings to healthcare workers and guardians, setting up teen clubs that provide peer-support services and referrals, and strengthening the national network of young people living with HIV. These efforts aim to ensure that adolescents do not miss their appointments, do not miss their doses, and achieve viral load suppression. A recent external evaluation commissioned by UNICEF in 2023 demonstrated that these interventions are having a positive effect across several indicators. For example, viral load suppression increased from 84% at baseline to 96%. The proportion of adolescents living with HIV who never missed a dose, from 64% at baseline to 73%. The proportion of adolescents living with HIV in a relationship with partners more than 5 years older declined, from 29% at baseline to 13%. The proportion of sexually active adolescents living with HIV who used a condom last time they had sex increased from 88% at baseline to 96%. While these results are promising, more needs to be done to better understand the causes that increase the risks and vulnerabilities of children and adolescents living with HIV, which pose significant barriers to their access to treatment and adherence, and ultimately lead to them falling off the treatment cascade.
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative and the HIV specialist, the consultant will develop a comprehensive analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities of children and adolescents living with HIV in Botswana, and their relation to HIV treatment outcomes.
Key objectives:
The analysis must include a desk review of relevant laws and policies, cultural practices, and service offer currently available in Botswana; latest HIV data related to children and adolescents; and key informant interviews. The results of the analysis must be specific in relation to gender disparities, age, place of residence, socioeconomic and academic background, family composition, violence-related issues, and disabilities. The analysis must provide recommendations for decision-makers, development partners, government authorities, and civil society organizations, to effectively address the HIV treatment gap among children and adolescents, inclusive of which interventions should be initiated or scaled-up, where, and which populations should they target. Activities and tasks: The consultant will be tasked with the following activities: Do a desk review of available data of HIV among children and adolescents, and HIV-related risks and vulnerabilities that affect their access to treatment, adherence, and viral suppression. Conduct key informant interviews with development partners, government authorities at the national and district level, civil society organizations, and young people. Develop a comprehensive analysis, presented in a research report, on the risks and vulnerabilities of children and adolescents living with HIV, which affect their access to treatment, adherence, and viral suppression, with a set of recommendations to all stakeholders working on HIV in Botswana on how to reach the children and adolescents living with HIV who have fallen off the treatment cascade, or who currently do not have access to treatment, based on the compendium of proven interventions from the region. Develop risk profiles of children and adolescents who do not access HIV prevention services, acquire HIV, do not access HIV treatment services, and/or default from treatment. Conduct a public presentation of the analysis to key stakeholders. Outputs and deliverables: The consultancy’s deliverables are: Workplan – delivered by 16 June 2024 (5 days) Desk review and compendium of interventions – 5 July 2024 (15 days) Key informant interviews – 2 August 2024 (20 days) Analysis with recommendations – 23 August 2024 (15 days) Final consultancy report – 30 August 2024 (5 days)The consultancy will be for 60 days spread over 4 months. Expected started date of Consultancy is 3 June 2024.
Payment Schedule
Payment shall be made on satisfactory completion of the deliverables as detailed above, in four payments. The key information interviews and analysis with recommendation shall be lumped as one payment.
Please note that the final remuneration will be negotiated by HR
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Master’s degree in public health, Epidemiology, and/or other relevant health and social sciences, research, data analysis and other areas of strategic information and health programming.For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
How to apply
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV, and Application form, to the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System) or email provided.
Interested candidates are required to indicate ability, and availability, and submit a financial proposal that includes their daily/monthly rate expressed in BWP. Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
This vacancy is archived.