SURVEILLANCE & EPIDEMIOLOGY LEAD

JOB ADVERTISEMENT : Surveillance & Epidemiology Lead, Global Health Security - EVIHDAF Evidence pour les Systèmes de Développement Humain Durable en Afrique - ONG Yaounde Cameroon
Surveillance & Epidemiology Lead, Global Health Security
About EVIHDAF
EVIHDAF (www.evihdaf.com) is an international research and development organization headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, which serves the West and Central Africa region. We have an office in Niamey, Niger, and a Data Unit satellite office in Parakou, Benin. Utilizing a diverse array of approaches rooted in rigorous design, adaptive, cutting-edge, and locally relevant methods, we provide services in Health Program Implementation and Scale-Up; Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (RMEL); Data Systems for Decision-Making; and Capacity Strengthening. We are positioned to serve as a Regional Hub for the coordination of various initiatives in West & Central Africa. Our practice areas include Health and Health Systems, Nutrition and Food Security, Climate Change Preparedness and Resilience, and Population Migration and Displacements.
Position Overview
EVIHDAF and its partners are looking for an experienced Surveillance & Epidemiology Lead in anticipation of a Global Health Security (GHS) project funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Lead provides senior-level technical leadership and oversight for all surveillance components of the GHS project. The lead will liaise with other technical leads to ensure project synergies and efficiency.
The role focuses on strengthening indicator- and event-based surveillance systems – including community-based surveillance, points of entry, and outbreak detection and response – in strict alignment with the America First Global Health Strategy and new Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation. Reporting to the Project Director, the Lead works closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH), national public health institutes, laboratories, and other implementing partners to improve early detection, reporting, and strategic use of surveillance data for public health decision-making. This position requires a high degree of flexibility, the ability to work under pressure, and a strong capacity to navigate complex multicultural environments while facilitating the transition of surveillance functions to national ownership.
Specific Responsibilities
Program Management and Technical Leadership
Leadthe design and implementation of the project’s surveillance and epidemiology strategy, ensuring alignment with national plans and the America First Global Health Strategy.
Provide expert technical input to annual workplans, budgets, and performance reports, ensuring activities represent strategic investments that reduce long-term foreign dependence.
Identify priority gaps in national and subnational surveillance systems and propose costed improvement plans to enhance Joint External Evaluation (JEE) scores and meet Bilateral MOU benchmarks.
Surveillance Systems Strengthening
Support the MoH and national public health institutes to strengthen indicator-based surveillance (IDSR, EWARN) and integrate these with event-based and community-based surveillance (CBS).
Provide technical assistance to improve surveillance of priority epidemic-prone diseases, zoonotic diseases, AMR, and emerging infections, facilitating the One Health approach.
Strengthen surveillance capacities at points of entry (PoE) and in high-risk settings such as border districts and urban hotspots.
Collaborate with the Health Informatics & Digital Health Lead to implement systems that enhance data visualization, ensuring these can be sustained through co-investment comm