UNDP is a key partner to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) and is the UN agency assuming the role of Principal Recipient of Global Fund grants in Sudan. In its role as Principal Recipient, UNDP ensures quality financial management, timely procurement of supplies and service delivery as well as efficient monitoring and evaluation of grant implementation activities. A dedicated Project Management Unit (GF-PMU) is currently managing four ongoing grants (2009-2015) from the Global Fund with an approved cumulative budget of over US$ 350 million. The overall goal of the projects is to prevent deaths caused by diseases, to reduce the burden of HIV and tuberculosis, to interrupt transmission of HIV, to reduce morbidity, and to contain and prevent malaria outbreaks, as well as to strengthen the health system.

Sudan’s new national strategic plans (NSP) for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria have a focus on reaching out to the hard-to-reach areas and populations. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or other natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognised state border. Internally displaced people (IDP) and refugee population in different states of Sudan are considered hard to reach population.

There are approximately 25 million IDPs globally of which Sudan contains almost 10% of it i.e. 2.4 million. The humanitarian situation sharply deteriorated in 2013 with more than 2.4 million people displaced throughout the Darfur states, South and North Kordofan, and Blue Nile.  The Humanitarian Dashboard of November 2013 mentions that the conflict in Darfur created large settlements in and around the major towns where about 81% (2,000,000) of all Sudan IDPs are located in the five Darfur states^[1]. Moreover, the IDPs in Darfur as other IDPs raising both national and international concerns about sexual exploitation and gender based violence^[2].

As with refugees, IDPs are believed to be at increased risk of contracting HIV virus during and after displacement, due to disruption of family/social structures and health services, increased sexual violence, and sexual-risk taking due to poverty. Poverty and lack of access to health care facilities also put these populations to increased vulnerability to TB and Malaria.  Given the unique and precarious situation in conflict-affected countries, the HIV and health concerns of IDPs are a priority for governments and humanitarian actors in Sudan.

The Federal Ministry of Health, Republic of Sudan, is submitting a Concept Note for funding to the Global Fund under the New Funding Mechanism (NFM). Sudan will be the first country to submit a single consolidated concept note integrating the disease components of AIDS, TB and malaria and the health system strengthening. The situational analysis of HIV, TB and malaria in the hard-to-reach areas is undertaken to consolidate the data and information on the three diseases and to map the services available for the three diseases in hard to reach areas. It is expected that the outcomes of the situational analysis will help in streamlining a more integrated intervention of the HIV, TB and malaria in the hard-to-reach areas.

The purpose of the consultancy is to consolidate the information on the epidemic of HIV, TB and malaria, the services available and to develop an integrated intervention package in the hard-to-reach areas of Sudan.   

. Academic Qualifications:

Master’s degree or equivalent in Public health, Epidemiology, Social science or related field.

II. Years of experience:

A minimum of 5 years professional experience in/for developing countries in the field of public health teaching, research or practice.

III. Competencies:

Excellent skills in analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, interpreting policies and critically analyzing programme strategies

• Good writing skills, demonstrated through high quality publications.
• Ability to work in a complex environment and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a team.

V. Language required :

Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written skills.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal:

(i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work

(ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work

2. Financial proposal

3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references

Individuals and research/consulting/academic institutions can find the details of the bidding document in the UNDP weblink provided below. Bids should be submitted directly to UNDP as mentioned in the notice.