Sexual Health Advisor, HIV (International)

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Qualifications

1.       Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultancy will support the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), through the Sexual Health and HIV Unit, in collaboration with the National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce (N-HOCRT) and its sub-committees, to strengthen sexual health as a distinct and essential pillar of health and human rights in Fiji.

The consultant will provide technical and strategic leadership to embed sexual health as a core function of the health system, ensuring that all individuals can attain the highest possible standard of sexual well-being, free from coercion, discrimination, and violence. This includes integrating comprehensive sexual health services across the life course and linking HIV, STI, gender-based violence, mental health, and counselling services within a unified, person-centred framework.

A key function of this consultancy will be to twin with and mentor the national Sexual Health Officer (Principal Medical Officer) to build enduring technical and leadership capacity in sexual health policy, systems strengthening, and service delivery. The consultant will support the Officer to lead Fiji’s transition toward an inclusive, rights-based model of sexual health that reflects WHO guidance and global good practice.

2.       Background

Sexual health is a fundamental component of overall health and human rights, essential to well-being, dignity, and quality of life. According to the World Health Organization, sexual health is not merely the absence of disease or dysfunction but a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, grounded in consent, equity, and the freedom from coercion, discrimination, and violence.

In Fiji, sexual health challenges have become more visible through the changing dynamics of the HIV epidemic, rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, and persistent stigma and gender inequality. Access to accurate information, confidential counselling, and high-quality sexual health services remains uneven, particularly for young people, women, and key populations.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, through the Sexual Health and HIV Unit and guided by the N-HOCRT, is prioritising the integration of sexual health into the national health agenda, not only as a disease-control function but as a comprehensive, rights-based service area that promotes well-being across all genders and life stages. Strengthening sexual health programming within Fiji’s health system is therefore critical for improving HIV and STI outcomes, advancing gender equity, and fulfilling Fiji’s commitment to universal health coverage and health for all.

This consultancy will provide the technical, strategic, and capacity-building support needed to institutionalise sexual health as a central component of Fiji’s health system, ensuring sustainability through mentoring and systems transfer to national leadership.

3.       Planned timelines

Start date: 1 February 2026

End date: 31 December 2026

4.      Deliverables

Output 1: National sexual health strategy and enabling environment.

·         Deliverable 1.1: Develop a nationally endorsed Sexual Health Strategy grounded in WHO’s sexual health definition and the five-domain framework (laws, education, culture, economics, health systems), fully aligned with Fiji’s national health priorities.

·         Deliverable 1.2: Conduct a comprehensive situation and gap analysis of sexual health, HIV, STI, and gender-based determinants, mapping barriers across social, legal, cultural, and health-system domains.

·         Deliverable 1.3: Produce a costed national implementation plan with actionable milestones, responsible agencies, and monitoring indicators that embed rights, equity, and stigma reduction.

·         Deliverable 1.4: Facilitate national and community consultations (including government, CSOs, youth, key populations, and faith leaders) and produce a report summarizing inclusive feedback and consensus recommendations.

Output 2: Fiji-Adapted Clinical and Operational Frameworks for Sexual Health

·         Deliverable 2.1: Develop Fiji-specific clinical care pathways for sexual health, HIV, STI, and related services, integrating WHO’s evidence-based guidance on quality, equity, and confidentiality.

·         Deliverable 2.2: Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) and practical job aids to guide health workers in delivering integrated, rights-sensitive, and non-stigmatizing care.

·         Deliverable 2.3: Develop a national training curriculum for sexual health service delivery (with facilitator and participant manuals) embedding gender sensitivity, sexual rights, and client-centred communication.

·         Deliverable 2.4: Produce service integration tools linking HIV, STI, contraception, GBV, and mental health within PHC and community health platforms.

Output 3: Workforce and Systems Capacity Strengthening (Twinning and Mentoring Focus)

·         Deliverable 3.1: Conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops to establish a national cadre of certified facilitators at national and divisional levels.

·         Deliverable 3.2: Develop and institutionalize supportive supervision tools, quality assurance checklists, and sexual health indicators integrated into MHMS monitoring systems.

·         Deliverable 3.3: Prepare a capacity needs assessment detailing workforce gaps, service readiness, and health-system strengthening priorities.

·         Deliverable 3.4: Provide mentoring and twinning with the Sexual Health Officer (Principal Medical Officer), with progress reports documenting capacity transfer, service improvements, and integration outcomes.

Output 4: Community and Social Engagement for Sexual Well-Being

·         Deliverable 4.1: Develop community-based communication strategies to promote positive sexual health and rights, addressing stigma, discrimination, and harmful gender norms.

·         Deliverable 4.2: Build partnerships with civil society, faith groups, and youth networks to co-deliver sexual health literacy and peer education programmes.

·         Deliverable 4.3: Produce an evaluation report documenting changes in awareness, community engagement, and service uptake.

5.       Qualifications, expertise, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

·      Essential:  Bachelor's degree in medicine, nursing, public health or a related field.

·      Desirable: Post graduate qualification in one of the above fields.

Experience

·      Essential: A senior public health professional with 7 years' experience, skilled in sexual health, HIV/STI prevention, and SRH programming. International experience in resource constrained settings to support countries to rapidly adapt global best practises in public health disease surveillance and response to the local context and extend core capacities in the health work force.

·      Desirable: 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 sexual health, HIV, STI and SRHR, with knowledge of WHO guidelines and global standards.

o   Experience developing national strategies, clinical pathways and operational tools.

o   Skills in training design, capacity building and supportive supervision.

o   Ability to conduct assessments, analyse data and translate findings into practical recommendations.

o   Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including consultations with government, clinicians and communities.

·      Desirable

o   Experience working in Pacific Island health systems or similar contexts.

o   Knowledge of GBV, mental health and youth friendly service approaches.