The Peace Corps is reimagining service following the March 2020 global evacuation of Volunteers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This reimagining has afforded the Peace Corps the chance to address new challenges, like the fact that less than half of the global population receives essential health services. The pandemic has only exacerbated these gaps. In an effort to address the global health care worker shortage, Peace Corps Response (PCR) has launched the Advancing Health Professionals (AHP) program in Eswatini, Liberia, Malawi, Uganda, and Tanzania.

AHP aims to improve health care education and strengthen health systems in resource-limited areas. The program’s approach ensures healthy lives, promotes well-being for all, and focuses on teaching the next generation of health care professionals. AHP Volunteers, their counterparts, and their host organizations contribute to pandemic relief, promote the equitable delivery of services, and strengthen health systems on a societal level.

Do you have the skills to help strengthen health systems? Take a look at seven Volunteer positions you can apply for today that are dedicated to filling this critical gap:

1.Medical/Surgical Nursing Lecturer: Uganda

Serve as a lecturer in medical-surgical nursing at the Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences. The Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) will attend faculty meetings and participate in faculty assignments, participate in skills lab training for students, lecture third-year nursing students, participate in tutorial teaching, attend grand rounds, assist with new course and tutorial program development, administer, supervise, and grade exams, mentor faculty in skills lab and simulation methods. This assignment aims to address the health manpower gap in Uganda by training distinguished health professionals, engaging in research in critical areas of health, and exceptional community service.

2. Mental Health Nursing Lecturer: Uganda

This position is also based at the Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences. The PCRV will attend faculty meetings, participate in faculty assignments, mentor faculty in nursing education with a focus on mental health, lecture third and fourth-year nursing students in mental health, participate in tutorial teaching, attend grand rounds, present and discuss one or two cases, assist in the development of new courses and tutorials, and supervise and grade exams. The goal of this assignment is for the Volunteer to support a more robust training of nurses in mental health so that they are more capable of handling the rise of mental health conditions in Uganda.

3. Teaching Resources Development Specialist: Malawi

AHP Malawi is in need of a PCRV to serve as a teaching resources development specialist at the Kamuzu College of Nursing in Malawi. The PCRV is required to read through selected curriculum documents, understand the content areas, suggest curriculum areas that may need strengthening, develop or adapt online teaching resources for some modules in the Bachelor of Science (BSc) in nursing and midwifery, and train faculty members to create online teaching resources through virtual training sessions. This assignment aims for the mentored staff to mentor other staff members after the PCRV’s assignment is complete.

4. Senior Health Policy Analyst: Malawi

This position will serve at the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine. The senior health policy analyst will contribute to conceptualizing research and policy analysis and participate in Thinktank, policy lab, and relevant meetings. In conjunction with junior staff, the PCRV will write reports on proceedings of Thinktank and policy lab meetings and support the development of analytical reports and policy briefs. The goal of this assignment is for the PCRV to support capacity development for junior analysts working in the health policy lab.

5. Medicinal Chemistry Lecturer: Malawi

The lecturer in medicinal chemistry will serve at the University of Malawi College of Medicine. The PCRV will work in collaboration with the head of the pharmacy department and fellow lecturers to support students and mentor and build the capacity of fellow faculty to review and develop a draft curriculum for the Masters of Pharmacy program. The Volunteer will mentor four students in developing lab research projects as part of the undergraduate research course. The goal of this assignment is for the PCRV to help the college establish sustainable medicinal chemistry courses through curriculum development and staff training.

6. Pharmacy and Pharmacognosy Lecturer: Malawi

The AHP program in Malawi seeks a Volunteer to serve as a lecturer in pharmacy and pharmacognosy at the University Of Malawi College Of Medicine. The PCRV will review and develop draft curricula for the Masters of Pharmacy and Herbal Medicine programs and assist with the development of short-term continuous professional development courses for department staff and other interested individuals in related professions. The aim of the assignment is for the Volunteer to support the implementation of the current academic program at the bachelor’s level by lecturing in pharmacognosy classes and assisting with the introduction of postgraduate training programs in pharmacy and herbal medicine.

7. Basic Science Lecturer in Microbiology and Parasitology: Malawi

Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) is in need of two PCRVs to serve as lecturers in microbiology and parasitology. The Volunteers will develop lesson plans for nursing and midwifery students, teach in-person and remotely using technology, develop examinations, grade student activities, develop and identify teaching resources, update science laboratory protocols, recommend equipment for the science laboratory, and attend departmental and faculty meetings. The goal of this assignment is to train a KCN staff member to teach the course following the PCRVs end of service.