Analyst, Innovative Cancer Medicines – Demonstration Study at Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)

Clinton Health Access Initiative – Founded in 2002, by President William J. Clinton and Ira Magaziner, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to strengthening integrated health systems and expanding access to care and treatment in the developing world. CHAI’s solution-oriented approach focuses on improving market dynamics for medicines and diagnostics; lowering prices for treatment; accelerating access to lifesaving technologies; and helping governments build the capacity required for high-quality care and treatment programs.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Analyst, Innovative Cancer Medicines – Demonstration Study

Location: Abuja
Job Type: Full Time

Overview

Over the past few years, CHAI has expanded the scope of our work to include access to high-quality treatment for malaria, new vaccines and essential treatments for common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia. CHAI has also increasingly supported governments to build the capacity required for high-quality care and treatment programs. Currently, CHAI partners with governments in more than 25 countries while more than 70 countries directly benefit from the low-priced drugs and diagnostic test agreements that CHAI has negotiated.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s cancer burden is significant and growing. Every year there are 115,950 cases of cancer and 70,327 deaths due to cancer in Nigeria . Like other low-middle income countries, cancer in Nigeria is characterized by late presentation, low access to treatment, and poor treatment outcomes. As a result, cancer in Africa, for example, is more than twice as lethal as in the US. This disparity in mortality is unacceptable, and it is particularly pronounced in pediatric malignancies: while long-term survival rates in the US approach 80%, over 70% of children with pediatric cancers in Africa die.

Delays in access to cancer treatment for patients of all ages result in 80-90% of cases that are in an advanced stage at the time of arrival to treatment. Fewer than 5% of patients, who need chemotherapy or other forms of treatment including innovative cancer medicines (ICM), receive it. In many LMICs, the small and unpredictable procurement volumes currently observed are not attractive to manufacturers, who find most of their market in wealthy countries. This results in high prices, shipment delays, and a limited response to tenders, forcing countries to procure from lower quality suppliers and resulting in frequent stock outs of essential medicines.

In 2017, CHAI formed a chemotherapy access partnership (CAP) with Pfizer Inc. and Cipla Inc. to expand access to 16 essential chemotherapies that are used to treat breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and Kaposi sarcoma. The agreements enable six countries (Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda), representing 41% of cancer incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa, to realize savings of over 50%, while simultaneously switching to high-quality products. CHAI Nigeria has supported the Nigerian Government to execute the first coordinated procurement in partnership with seven cancer centers across the country. Thus, taking advantage of the chemotherapy access deal and improving access to treatment for Nigerian patients.

CHAI seeks to expand the portfolio and apply a similar approach to lower the price that partner governments pay for innovative cancer medicines (ICM). As such, CHAI is working with the parker institute for cancer immunotherapy (PICI) to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of ICM for the treatment of cancer in low resource settings. National Hospital Abuja (NHA) has been selected as one of three sites in Sub Saharan Africa to conduct the demonstration study. Findings from the demonstration study in Nigeria, will inform scaled use of ICM for the treatment of cancer CHAI seeks to shift the market towards high quality cancer treatment products and improve in-country availability. This market shaping work will be complemented by in-country system strengthening.

Job Description

CHAI is looking for an Analyst based in Abuja, Nigeria to support the day to day implementation of activities associated with the ICM demonstration study at National Hospital Abuja (NHA). The Analyst will work with the Senior Associate on the cancer treatment access program to support the Principal investigator (PIs), Co-investigators and study team on the demonstration study at NHA to, ensure adherence to the protocol and application of identified updates to, demonstrate feasibility of treatment while protecting the patient. This will include a focus on coordination of all activities outlined in the protocol and communicating progress with relevant stakeholders like the National Cancer Control Program at the FMoH.

H/She will support all aspects of the demonstration study with a focus retention of enrolled patients to ensure scalability of findings from the ICM demonstration study. H/She will provide day-to-day support for the implementation of activities on the workplan and ensure alignment with grant deliverables. They will be expected to rapidly learn key technical content and understand the technical resources available to the program, and then serve as an internal resource for support in reaching the program’s goals.

The candidate must have demonstrated communication, and analytical skills; be able to problem solve; and be able to prepare program analysis and reports. The candidate must have a strong commitment to excellence, be results-driven, solution-oriented, and get things done. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities: resourcefulness, responsibility, tenacity, independence, energy, and work ethic.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to day coordination of the implementation of the ICM demonstration study at National Hospital Abuja
• Support the Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-investigators with tracking application and update of approved protocol
• Manage supply chain for all reagents, commodities and consumables required for successful execution of the study
• Support Study team with patient enrolment, tracking, retention and prompt report of adverse events
• Manage the ICM demonstration project’s M&E database ensuring timely tracking and reporting of project indicators to CHAI Senior Leadership team, project partners and the FMOH
• Support with coordination of logistics and administrative tasks on the ICM demonstration study
• Contribute to the development and dissemination of program reports and external communication materials including the manuscript of the study
• Perform any other duty assigned by the Director of Programs and Country Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with at least 4 years of professional experience in the private or public sector
• Excellent verbal, visual and written communication skills
• Previous experience with community engagement for demand generation
• Ability to quickly learn and synthesize technical and clinical information and to build strategic relationships and interact with individuals of different backgrounds
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
• Strong analytical skills and technical proficiency with MS Excel, and PowerPoint
• Good strategic thinker able to think creatively around long-term program objectives and the detailed steps necessary to achieve these goals.
• Ability to multi-task and to be effective in high-pressure situations, and able to adapt to fast-paced and changing environments, both internally and externally
• Ability to work independently on complex projects and solve challenging problems with limited structural or operational support
• Willingness to travel up to 30%.

Plusses:

• Prior experience with coordinating the implementation of a study or project
• Master’s Degree or higher in related field
• Experience working with research institutions in low and middle income countries.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.