Senior Harm Reduction & Drug Health Programme Specialist - (2600117)
Contractual Arrangement: External consultant
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 11 months
: Jan 13, 2026, 2:48:00 AM
: Jan 20, 2026, 10:59:00 PM
: Fiji-Suva
: WP_FJI Fiji
: Full-time
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1. Purpose of the Consultancy
This consultancy will support the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), through the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) & HIV Unit, the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce (N-HOCRT), and specifically the Harm Reduction Technical Working Group (TWG) under the Prevention Sub-Committee, to design, operationalise, and institutionalise a comprehensive national harm-reduction and drug-health programme.
The consultant will provide senior technical leadership, systems guidance, and targeted capacity building to establish and scale up Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSPs) and related drug-health services in Fiji. This includes developing the enabling policy, legal, and operational frameworks, coordinating multi-sector partnerships with health, law enforcement, and community stakeholders, and ensuring all interventions are evidence-based, rights-affirming, and aligned with WHO guidance.
A key function of the consultancy will be to mentor and twin with the National Harm Reduction and Drug Health Programme Officer to strengthen national leadership, technical expertise, and sustainable management of harm-reduction services beyond the consultancy period. The role will also contribute to the work of the Prevention Sub-Committee and the N-HOCRT Secretariat, ensuring that harm-reduction data, policy decisions, and implementation progress are integrated into the broader HIV outbreak response.
2. Background
The HIV situation in Fiji has changed in recent years, with more infections linked to new patterns of risk. Injecting drug use, especially with methamphetamine, has become more common, and many people who inject drugs share needles because there are no harm reduction services such as needle and syringe programmes. This gap has created a fast route of transmission in some communities. At the same time, many people are still being diagnosed late, testing does not always reach those most at risk, and stigma continues to discourage early care.
The national response is strengthening combination prevention interventions and differentiated approaches to prevention, surveillance, and diagnosis, treatment, care and support capacity while introducing new harm-reduction interventions. The draft drug rehabilitation framework, supported by MHMS and partners, provides a national platform for integration of NSPs, rehabilitation, and reintegration services.
Harm reduction is a central approach to preventing HIV transmission in settings where injecting drug use is emerging, and needle syringe programs are one of the most effective interventions for reducing new infections. By providing sterile injecting equipment, safe disposal options and links to health and social services, these programs reduce the sharing of needles, which is one of the quickest pathways for HIV spread. Alongside NSPs, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a key prevention tool that offers additional protection for people at increased risk, including those who inject drugs and their sexual partners. In an emerging HIV epidemic, early introduction and rapid scale up of NSPs and PrEP is critical, as even small injecting networks can quickly accelerate transmission without preventive measures in place.
The consultant will ensure that harm-reduction services, including NSPs, are introduced in a rights-based, gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, and culturally safe manner that aligns with WHO normative guidance and Fiji’s national context.
3. Planned timelines
Start date: 1 February 2026
End date: 31 December 2026
4. Deliverables
Output 1: Enabling Policy, Legal and Regulatory Framework Established: support MHMS to finalise the policy and legal foundations for safe and effective harm-reduction implementation.
Output 2: Integrated Harm Reduction and Rehabilitation Service Model Designed: design NSPs as part of an integrated, multi-tiered model of drug-related health and rehabilitation services.
Output 3: Workforce and System Capacity Strengthened: build technical and managerial capacity across the health system, focusing on the PMO as the national lead.
Output 4: Stakeholder and Community Engagement Strengthened: enhance multi-sector coordination and build trust across justice, social protection, and community systems.
Output 5: Monitoring, Evaluation and Scale-Up Readiness: establish a unified M&E framework for NSPs linked to Fiji’s drug rehabilitation and public health systems.
Output 6: Twinning and Mentorship with the National Harm Reduction and Drug Health Programme Officer (PMO) and other identified personnel: mentor and capacitate the PMO (and other identified personnel) to assume full technical and operational leadership of harm-reduction and drug-health programming.
5. Qualifications, expertise, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications
o Essential: Bachelor's degree in public health, medicine, epidemiology, nursing, science or a related field.
o Desirable: Post graduate qualifications in one of the above fields.
Experience
Essential:
o Minimum 7 years’ experience in harm-reduction, rehabilitation linkages, and integrated HIV/STI/TB programming including NSP design and implementation.
o Proven expertise in policy development, enabling legal and policy frameworks for drug-health services, community-based HIV prevention, and capacity building.
o Experience working with government and civil-society partners in low-resource settings, with strong coordination, technical writing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
o Skilled in training, mentoring, and supervision.
o Knowledge of trauma-informed, gender-sensitive, and inclusive care approaches.
o Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication abilities.
Desirable:
o Experience of working with the UN system and experience of working in the Western Pacific Region is an advantage.
Skills / Technical skills and knowledge
Essential:
o Strong technical expertise in HIV harm reduction, needle syringe programs and WHO-aligned standards.
o Knowledge of policy development, regulatory analysis and translating guidelines into operational tools.
o Experience designing community-led service delivery models, referral pathways and monitoring systems.
o Skills in training, mentoring and building capacity of health workers, CSOs and peer networks.
o Ability to coordinate multi-sector groups and facilitate engagement with key populations.
o Strong data, monitoring and evaluation skills, including indicators, reporting tools and pilot assessments.
Desirable:
o Experience working in Pacific health systems or similar settings.
o Knowledge of PrEP implementation in high-risk populations.
o Skills in stigma-reduction communication and community safety approaches.
Languages
o Essential: Expert knowledge of English
6. Competencies
7. Location
The consultancy will be in Fiji for eleven months.
8. Medical clearance
The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.
9. Travel
The Consultant is expected to travel to Fiji.
10. Remuneration and budget:
11. Technical Supervision
The selected Consultant will work under the supervision of:
Responsible Officer WHO:
Public Health Specialist
Pacific Health Security and Communicable Diseases
Email:
izumik@who.int
Manager:
Mr Biniam Kabethmyer
Acting Team Coordinator,
Pacific Health Security and Communicable Diseases
Email:
kabethmyerb@who.int
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