STOP
Teams:
Since the inception
of the STOP program in the fall
of 1998, STOP Teams have worked
in nearly 50
countries. In the first years
of the program, most STOP Team
members worked primarily to strengthen
acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance,
support national immunization days,
and conduct polio case investigation
and follow-up. Though the focus
remains on polio activities, the
role for some team members has
expanded to include supporting measles mortality
reduction, activities strengthening routine
immunization, and supporting the Integrated Disease Surveillance
initiative. Additionally, we support these programs through communication management and data
management.
The
first STOP Team mostly consisted
of CDC staff who were U.S. citizens
(22 of 25 team members). Over time,
there has been a steadily increasing
involvement by citizens from the
world community. It is now a truly
global effort with STOP Team members
reflecting the international commitment
to polio eradication. International
bridges are being built and global
connections made among public health
professionals through the STOP Team
initiative that will continue long
after the polio virus is gone.
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The
When,
Where and Why of Team Assignments:
When
do STOP Teams go out?
Teams
depart at 4-month intervals,
in January, May, and September.
These times are not flexible
due to the resources required
to organize the assignment.
Where
do STOP Teams go?
Currently,
most STOP Team members will be
assigned to countries in Africa
and South Asia however country assignments shift based on current priorities. The following
link shows the map
of STOP Team field assignments
and the number of STOP Team members
who have worked in each country.
Why
are STOP Teams needed?
The
work of STOP Team members is
extremely important to achieve
interruption of the polio virus. Many countries
have a shortage of skilled public
health staff available to fully
support polio eradication and
measles mortality reduction.
WHO and UNICEF, working in conjunction
with national Ministries of Health,
request skilled short-term consultants
who can provide field support
to their programs. STOP
Team members are considered the
descendants of the "Smallpox
Warriors" of the 1970s,
hunting down the polio virus
in the last reservoirs on earth.
As
a member of a STOP Team, you will
have an opportunity to work closely
with representatives from Ministries
of Health, WHO, UNICEF, local communities
at the district level, Canadian
Public Health Association (CPHA),
and CDC. STOP
Teams work under the most demanding
and challenging of circumstances,
in some of the worlds most difficult
environments. At the same time,
you will be part of the global
effort to eradicate polio from
the world so that the coming generations
are free from the threat of polio.
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Duties
and Responsibilities:
Team
members do not choose the countries
to which they are assigned, but
may indicate a preference which
is not guaranteed. Though team
members are recruited and trained
primarily by CDC, once on assignment,
they are under the supervision
of either WHO or UNICEF. As such,
STOP participants will serve as
short-term WHO/UNICEF consultants
working at the district level*.
Team members will be assigned to
work with a national counterpart
and participate in activities that
may include any of the following:
- Acute
flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance
-
Supplemental Immunization Activities,
e.g., national immunizations
days (NIDs), measles catch-up
campaigns
- Measles
mortality reduction activities
- Routine
immunization
initiatives
- Integrated
disease surveillance
*
Data managers
usually work at the national level
in the capital city.
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Nature
of
Assignment:
STOP
assignments are intended for applicants
with years of experience in public
health who can work with little
support and supervision. Living
and working conditions in countries
to which STOP participants are
assigned can be very difficult.
Challenges may include lack of
adequate electricity and water,
rugged traveling conditions, limited
medical facilities, and limited
communications.
STOP
participants must be in excellent
physical condition. We encourage
participants who will need close
medical supervision and access
to medical facilities to postpone
application to the STOP assignment
until the need for close medical
supervision has been eliminated.
Pictures
of Living Conditions
Finances:
The STOP
program is financially possible
because it is made up of volunteers.
Team members are not paid a salary.
Through the support of WHO, Rotary
International, UNICEF, Canadian
Pubic Health Association (CPHA)
and the CDC, participants are provided
with airline tickets and a per
diem to cover lodging, food and
authorized miscellaneous expenses.
Orientation:
Prior
to departing for the assignment,
participants receive approximately
12 days of orientation conducted
by CDC, WHO, UNICEF, and CPHA staff
in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The purpose of the orientation
is to provide participants with
an overview of the assignment.
Topics covered include a global
overview of polio eradication and
measles mortality reduction strategies,
as well as an overview of routine
immunization and disease surveillance
activities. In addition, upon arrival
in the country of assignment, STOP
Team members are given a country
specific orientation by the in-country
team.
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Technical
Qualifications:
STOP Teams require highly qualified
public health professionals. The
minimum qualification
to be considered for a STOP assignment
is at least five years
of relevant public health experience.
Relevant
experience for field assignments is defined as having
worked (school work/internships
not included) in one or more of
the following areas of public health:
communicable disease surveillance
(e.g., acute flaccid paralysis
surveillance), field epidemiology
(e.g., case outbreak investigations),
and immunization programs, (e.g., developing, implementing, and monitoring programs).
Relevant experience
for Data Management includes:
- Computer/database
experience
- Disease
surveillance experience
- Programming
experience desirable
Relevant experience for Communications Management includes:
- Experience in developing and/or implementing public health communications plans
- Social mobilization experience
Prior
international work and fluency
in French, Portuguese, or Arabic
are considered additional strengths,
but are not required.
Note:
Supervisory approval
will be required for all STOP Team
members who are currently employed,
with the exception of those who
are self-employed. U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) applicants must have supervisory
approval before
applying to the program.
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Social
Qualifications:
It cannot
be overemphasized that each candidate
must work exceptionally well with
others and possess strong interpersonal
skills. As an assignee to the WHO
or UNICEF, WHO/UNICEF field staff
and Ministry of Health counterparts,
as well as CDC and CPHA staff,
reserve the right to end an assignment
at any time (before, during orientation,
as well as while on assignment)
should they feel the STOP team
member is having difficulty communicating
with others, is being culturally
insensitive, is allowing personal
issues to get in the way of getting
the job done,
is
not fulfilling his/her duties to
the satisfaction of any of the
partners, or
is jeopardizing the program in
any way.
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STOP
Team Assignments are Unaccompanied
Positions:
STOP
Team members are frequently sent
to challenging environments with
very demanding living conditions.
Family members are not
permitted to accompany STOP participants
during the field assignment. Applicants
also should be aware that direct
communications with family members
can be very limited, as many areas
may have little or no telephone
or Internet access. Applicants
should seriously consider their
personal situation before applying. Assignments may also be cancelled if the host country decides that it does not need the assistance of the consultant after all. |