The African Union, established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States as well as developing a new partnership worldwide. Its Headquarters is located in Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) was officially launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on January 31, 2017. The Africa CDC is Africa’s first continent-wide public health agency and envisions a safer, healthier, integrated and stronger Africa, where Member States are capable of effectively responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases and other public health threats. The agency mission is to strengthen Africa’s public health institutions’ capabilities to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks and other health burdens through an integrated network of continent-wide preparedness and response, surveillance, laboratory, and research programmes.

Africa CDC has been at the forefront of the continent’s fight against the pandemic. The agency has set a goal to vaccinate 60 percent the continent’s population before the end of 2024. To achieve this ambitious and critical goal, the Africa CDC and the Mastercard Foundation are launching “Saving Lives and Livelihoods,” “partnership for COVID-19 Vaccination in Africa.” The planned Saving Lives and Livelihoods partnership is a unique initiative due to its scope and scale, the critical topics it focuses on, as well as the way it will be governed.

The Role

The Technical Officer Pharmacovigilance will support the design of systems and tools to detect, monitor, and respond to adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in the vaccine roll-out programme.

The Technical Officer Pharmacovigilance shall:

• Ensure that all AEFI related challenges and risks are identified and mitigation measures are established and implemented.
• Support country consultations to assess existing AEFI surveillance systems to identify gaps and develop plan of activities to address challenges.
• Support capacity building of member states and implementing partners on Africa CDC’s AEFI surveillance, investigation, and response.
• Establish a coordination mechanism between regional programme teams to exchange CoVID-19 vaccine safety information including a data sharing mechanism for CoVID- 19 vaccine safety data and reporting of adverse events.
• Represent Africa CDC in a professional manner, which creates a positive image and enhances the credibility of the organization.
• Perform any other duties as requested by the supervisor.

Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Public Health, or related field and 5 years of relevant experience.

Or

Master’s Degree in Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Public Health, or related field and 2 years of relevant experience.

Required skills and Competencies

Functional skills

• Experience in public health programmes including providing technical assistance in strengthening pharmaceutical systems in the continent.
• Experience designing, implementing, and monitoring pharmacovigilance systems.
• Excellent diplomatic, representational, interpersonal and communication skills, including experience with successfully interacting with stakeholders and decision- makers in technical and other professional settings;
• Demonstrated project planning and management skills for organizing, planning and executing projects from conception through implementation;
• Excellent technical writing skills, in addition to narrative and financial reporting skills;
• Excellent computer skills, including word-processing capabilities, proficiency with e- mail and internet applications, experience in using office software applications such as MS Excel, Power Point and Word

Personal Abilities

• Strong problem solving abilities
• Ability to plan ahead and predict potential and emerging barriers
• Ability to build strong relationships internally and with external stakeholders
• High level of autonomy at work, yet with profound team spirit
• Ability to work under pressure, with minimal supervision, and in a culturally diverse team
• Adaptive, patient, resourceful, resilient and flexible

Language Requirement : Applicants must be proficient in at least one of the African Union working languages (English, French, Arabic or Portuguese). Knowledge of two or more of African Union working languages would be an added advantage.