International Rescue Committee Sierra Leone

Public Health Fellowship Sample Job Description

This is a sample job description for a PiAf Fellow at a public health organization. Responsibilities might include:

Strategy and Grant writing  Using the health assessment to develop a project design that addresses major health issues in the target communities  Providing an assessment of the health environment in the communities in which the organization works, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS and malaria  Fully delineate development process in a detailed project proposal  Writing, editing, proofing, and coordinating grant applications pertaining to these health issues

Publicity  Produce pamphlets, informational brochures, press releases, and articles outlining the organization’s presence and successes in Sierra Leone, particularly those related to health issues  Assist in the creation of a country-specific website  Communicate with current and potential donors about the need and vision for expanded health-related funding  Training the appropriate staff members in communications skill to ensure sustainability of Africare – Sierra Leone’s public relations strategy upon the intern’s departure

Outreach and Community Affairs  Act as ‘outreach coordinator’ in the country’s largest HIV/AIDS clinics  Organize HIV testing events in the community  Promote clinic using print media and radio  Visit outlying districts to connect orphanages with clinic

Other  Shadow pediatricians and family doctors in the clinic Public Health Fellowship Sample Day in the Life

6:00: Leave the office for the field to supervise training sessions of community health volunteers. Then visit houses of pregnant women in the village to see how effectively they have mounted mosquito nets and how well they understand the causes, symptoms, and prevention of malaria.

12:00: Lunch break

1:00-3:00: Report to supervisors, write notes of field visits, and arrange visits for the following day. Assist in the creation of an updated training manual for staff.

3:00-5:30: Supervise the PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS) national helpline, where people can call in to seek advice from HIV-positive women. Act as the bridge between the call center and the office.

Some recent achievements of public health Fellows:  Organized Lesotho’s first summer camp for adolescents living with HIV.

 Organized field visits to Kibala, Angola by donors such as the U.S. Ambassador to Angola and the President of the ExxonMobil Foundation.

 Conducted a country-level, longitudinal quality-of-life study aimed at evaluating the current healthcare system for HIV-positive Batswana.

 Developed training materials used in clinics and hospitals in 7 countries in southern Africa to educate young mothers about HIV prevention and treatment.