ILRI PhD Graduate Fellow: Quantifying the cost-effectiveness of Rabies control in Machakos County, Kenya
ILRI PhD Graduate Fellow: Quantifying the cost-effectiveness of Rabies control in Machakos County, Kenya
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a PhD Graduate Fellow to undertake research on epidemiology of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Burkina Faso. The study will also assess local communities’ capacity to anticipate and respond to the diseases. S/he will work closely with the research team from One Health Research, Education and Outreach Center in Africa (OHRECA) at ILRI.
ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals’ alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. www.ilri.org
OHRECA seeks to improve the health of humans, animals and ecosystems through capacity development, strengthening of local, regional and global networks and provision of evidence-based policy advice on One Health in sub-Saharan Africa.
The center has four thematic areas: control of neglected tropical zoonotic diseases, emerging infectious diseases, food safety and informal markets, and prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance.
About the position
Rabies, a fatal viral zoonoses which is predominately transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected dog, has been recognised as a threat to human life since 2000BC. Whilst several high-income countries have eliminated canine rabies, the burden of disease in many low- and middle-income countries is still unacceptably high. The disease has suffered from neglect due to the association with marginalised communities, poor surveillance, lack of diagnostic capacity and a weak collaboration between veterinary and human health care services.
Rabies has now been included within the WHO roadmap for control of neglected tropical diseases and there is substantial progress reported in several countries and strong international ‘buy-in’ for the elimination of dog-mediated rabies. International pressure to eliminate dog-mediated rabies as a public health problem by 2030 has been focused by the commitment by the OIE/FAO/WHO tripartite and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control in the ‘Zero by 30’ global strategy 25.
In Kenya, rabies has been ranked as the third most important zoonoses in the country and this prioritisation is reflected in the Kenyan Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Human Rabies 2014-2030.
In order to facilitate the success of this strategic plan, empirical data on the cost-effectiveness of control programmes in the Kenyan context is required to stimulate appropriate investment in ongoing control and surveillance.
Understanding the acceptability of control strategies to the county and national governments and the community is also vital to overcoming hurdles to implementation. The BMZ funded OHRECA at ILRI, in partnership with the Machakos County Government, the Zoonotic Disease Unit and VSF-Germany are supporting
ongoing vaccination campaigns in Machakos county in line with the national elimination strategy.
Project Title: Quantifying the cost-effectiveness of Rabies control in Machakos County, Kenya.
Key responsibilities:
The fellowship seeks to answer the following research questions:
What is the historic health and economic burden of rabies in humans in Machakos county?
Using ecological and mark-recapture approaches, what coverage of the dog population is being achieved by the rabies vaccination campaign?
What are the costs associated with rolling out canine vaccination programmes in Machakos at an appropriate coverage?
What is the cost-effectiveness of the control program in $/z-DALY averted?
What are the appropriate cost-sharing models for sustainable control and surveillance within the county?
Do human health stakeholders feel engaged with such a programme and do they perceive a benefit to the health of the population?
Required qualifications:
Master’s degree with a minimum average of 60% in all areas of assessment in a relevant area to the proposed research project.
1st Class or 2nd class (upper division) Bachelor’s degree.
Ability to write and speak English to the requirements of the University of Liverpool which can be found herehttps://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/international/apply/english-language/postgraduate-entry/
Selected candidates will be required to present for interview (online) which will be recorded as per University of Liverpool policies.
Experience and skills:
Previous experience of undertaking research.
Experience in economics, public health, epidemiology, evaluation.
An understanding of veterinary and health systems, gender science and the sustainable development goals.
Previous research experience in economic evaluation, qualitative research methodologies.
Previous experience of intervention trials.
Ability to be based in Kenya full-time throughout the PhD programme.
Personal attributes:
Able to, under guidance, complete independent work successfully.
Able to work in transdisciplinary project.
Willingness to engage in frequent field travel.
Any specification with regards to nationality?
Location: ILRI, Kenya (with frequent field travel to Machakos County)
Terms of appointment:
This is an appointment for 3-4 years, subject to satisfactory performance. Start date will be agreed with the selected candidate, but ideally from April, 2021.
Benefits: ILRI will offer a monthly stipend to cover living expenses in the project location, medical insurance, and cover research expenses and university fees. The successful applicant will be expected to register at the University of Liverpool.
How to apply:
For more information and job application details, see; ILRI PhD Graduate Fellow: Quantifying the cost-effectiveness of Rabies control in Machakos County, Kenya
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