Consultant Needed for Baseline Entomological Study at Malaria Consortium

Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable and under privileged populations. We increasingly find our work on malaria can be effectively integrated with other similar public health interventions for greater impact and therefore expanded our remit to include child health and neglected tropical disease interventions.

Applications are invited for:

Title: Research Consultant - Baseline Entomological Study

Preamble
Malaria Consortium in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) will implement a campaign to distribute insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in Anambra State in June 2022. Malaria Consortium will also implement a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) research in relation to the campaign.

The M&E research is supported by a grant from Open Philanthropy based on GiveWell's recommendation. The project will gather comprehensive data to assess the outcomes of the campaign in terms of ITN coverage, cost, use rates and net durability. Data on other factors will be also collected, including insecticide resistance levels in malaria vectors, meteorological variables, and costs of the campaign. The survey will be used to gather baseline data on insecticide resistance of Anopheles vectors in Anambra State.

Personnel Required
The following field staff will be required for both sites:

• Entomology Team Leaders: 2
• Entomology Technicians: 2
• Entomology Assistants: 8.

Specific Tasks
Entomology Team Leader:

• Leads the entomology team at the assigned study site.
• Conducts insecticide susceptibility tests using the CDC bottle assay method.
• Identifies mosquitoes morphologically to species or species complex level.
• Packs and labels all tested mosquitoes and stores them dry in silica gel until the specimens are shipped for further laboratory analysis.
• Resolves any issues reported by team members.
• Reports to Malaria Consortium’s entomologist.
• Ensures that all data are accurately collected and uploaded or stored according to guidelines.
• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.
• Writes reports related to activities of the team, including achievements, challenges and recommendations.

Entomology Technician:

• Rears mosquito larvae for resistance studies and ensures that adequate number of adult mosquitoes of the required age are ready for susceptibility tests.
• Assists the entomology team leader to conduct insecticide susceptibility tests using the CDC bottle assay method.
• Identifies mosquitoes morphologically to species or species complex level.
• Packs and labels all tested mosquitoes and stores them dry in silica gel until the specimens are shipped for further laboratory analysis.
• Ensures that all materials and equipment are in place to conduct the field studies and kept in good working condition afterwards.
• Supervises collection of mosquito larvae.
• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.

Entomology Assistant:

• Assists the entomology team leader and technician in all field activities.
• Collects mosquito larvae for insecticide resistance studies.
• Will be required to attend training prior to survey.
• Reports to the entomology technician or the team leader any issues and helps to solve problems.

Deliverables

• Anopheles larvae collected from different sites (Entomology assistants).
• Anopheles larvae reared to adult stage and prepared for CDC bottle bioassays (Entomology technicians).
• Insecticide susceptibility tests conducted in two main sites and their sentinel sites (Entomology team leaders and technicians).
• All tested mosquitoes packed individually with labels in Eppendorf tubes and kept dry in silica gel for further laboratory analysis (Entomology team leaders and technicians).
• Field reports submitted (Entomology team leaders).

Qualifications and Experience
Entomology Team Leader:

• A Post-graduate Degree in Medical Entomology.
• At least 3 years’ experience in entomological studies for malaria research and control, especially in conducting CDC bottle bioassays.
• Demonstrated report writing skills.
• Good knowledge of the Igbo language.

Entomology Technician:

• A post-graduate degree in medical entomology.
• At least 2 years’ experience in entomological studies for malaria research and control.
• Demonstrated report writing skills.
• Excellent knowledge of the Igbo language.

Entomology Assistant:

• Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or its equivalent in any field.
• Good knowledge of the English language.
• Excellent proficiency in languages spoken in the study community, and proficiency in Igbo language.
• Must be from the local community or the selected LGAs.

Total TA days:

• Entomology team leaders: 33days
• Entomology technicians: 32days
• Entomology assistants: 13days.

Application Closing Date
7:59am, 22nd April, 2022.

Submission of Documents
Interested and qualified candidates should Click Here to apply online.

Note

• Kindly note that applicants who do not follow this specification, will be disqualified.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis a might be filled and closed before the closing date. Early applications are encouraged.
• Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• Malaria Consortium does not accept or ask for payment during recruitment. We also would not accept hardcopy CVs; all applications should be sent through the above link