About
Partners in Health (PIH) is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PH works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kazakhstan and Boston. PIH began working in Malawi in 2007, where today we support the Ministry of Health (MOH). Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) has its headquarters in Neno District with operations across the country.
Key Duties
- Conducts systematic social determinants of health (SOH) screening for all patients at Neno District Hospital, Lisungwi Community Hospital, and supported health centers using standardized tools.
- Conducts comprehensive individual and household-level social assessments for patients identified as high-risk or vulnerable (e.g., those with HIV, TB, NCDs, mental health conditions, malnutrition, or obstetric complications).
- Identifies and documents social barriers to care, including food insecurity, transport barriers, housing instability, lack of caregiver support, gender-based violence, disability, and economic vulnerability.
- Liaises with clinical teams during ward rounds, clinical reviews, and OPD consultations to flag patients with significant social risk factors and coordinate timely responses.
- Develops monthly activity work plans.
- Embeds social medicine within specific clinical programs (HIV/ART, TB, MNACH, NCD, Palliative Care, and Mental Health) by attending program-specific clinical reviews and contributing a social medicine perspective.
- Collaborates with the TB-HIV Program Officer, MNACH Coordinator, NCD team, and other clinical leads to develop and implement socially informed care plans for complex patients.
- Contributes to APZU’s social medicine culture by training and sensitizing clinical and community health staff on social determinants of health and patient-centered social support approaches.
- Supports integration of social support into PHC services by working with Health Centre In-charges and MOH staff to build capacity for SDOH screening at primary care level.
- Maintains accurate APZU Social Medicine patient registers and documentation systems, capturing all social support interventions, outcomes, and referral follow-ups.
- Prepares monthly program reports documenting activities, resources provided, patient outcomes, and key social determinants trends observed in the catchment area.
- Participates in monthly data review meetings to monitor indicators such as retention rates, food support coverage, transport utilization, and referral outcomes.
- Supports quality improvement initiatives contributing to poor clinical outcomes by identifying social barriers and proposing evidence-based programmatic responses.
- Builds and maintains relationships with government social welfare departments (Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare and Women Affairs), District Social Welfare Office, and community-based organizations.
- Participates in district-level social protection coordination forums and working groups to ensure APZU patients benefit from government and partner social protection programs.
- Identifies and reports emerging social protection needs, gaps, and barriers to the Social Medicine Manager to inform program adaptation and advocacy.
- Builds and maintains relationships with local and regional NGO working in the field of poverty alleviation and community resilience.
- Manages social support intervention budgets (transport, food support, patient assistance) responsibly, ensuring expenditures are properly documented and aligned with APZU financial policies.
- Contributes to quarterly and annual budget planning by providing data on patient needs, social support volumes, and resource utilization.
- Contributes to proposal development for program funding.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Nutrition, Development Studies, Global Health.
- Experience in social support, Nutrition, Global health, or development programs (3-5 Years).
- Experience in program management and health systems strengthening (3-5 Years).
- Experience working with government and partners (3-5 Years).
- The ideal candidate must be willing to be based in a rural district and travel regularly to facilities and communities.
How to Apply
Qualified and interested persons should apply strictly to the email address below, enclosing their cover letter; copies of relevant certificates and Curriculum Vitae indicating three names of traceable referees (including direct supervisors) with valid telephone numbers and email addresses not later than 15th May 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Email: apzurecruitment@pih.org with the title of the position indicated on the subject of the email addressing; The Director of Human Resources and Administration, Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU), P.O. Box 56, NENO.