Health Data Analyst

Health Data Analyst 

Position Type: Short-term consultancy 

Location: Kathmandu with possible occasional field travel

Duration: 6 months (with potential extension)

Reports to: Project Manager/Health Economist

Application Deadline: 22nd June 2025

Background

The Government of Nepal has rolled out the National Health Insurance Programme (NHIP) and the Social Security Fund (SSF) to expand health coverage and reduce out-of-pocket spending (OOPS). However, implementation challenges such as low enrolment, high dropout rates, limited empanelment of health facilities, and weak digital systems continue to undermine financial protection goals.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), with support from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia (JFPR), is providing technical assistance to address these systemic challenges through a robust evidence-generation initiative. The study will assess NHIP and SSF performance, evaluate financial protection outcomes, and examine the feasibility and readiness of health facilities for empanelment.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Data Analyst with strong experience in handling large-scale datasets and applying descriptive and inferential statistical techniques in the field of health and social care. The analyst will play a key role in managing and analysing data from household surveys, facility assessments, and secondary datasets from NHIP and SSF. The ideal candidate will apply advanced analytical methodologies—including complex survey design, sampling weights, generalized linear models, and causal inference techniques—to compute and interpret key financial protection indicators (such as OOPE incidence, catastrophic health expenditure headcount and intensity, and impoverishment impact) using household surveys, facility assessments, and secondary datasets. 

Key Responsibilities

• Clean, merge, and manage complex datasets (household surveys and facility assessments; survey weight/ income/consumption/wealth quintiles computation) using R/Stata software
• Conduct multivariate analyses:
  • Propensity score matching to estimate NHIP’s causal effect on OOP reduction.
  • Mixed-effects models to account for provincial-level clustering and income/wealth quintiles.
  • Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) analysis using international/national recommended thresholds.
• Compute OOP trends, CHE incidence, and impoverishment impacts using Xu’s methodology.
• Analyse equity dimensions (e.g., enrollment disparities by income quartile, gender) via concentration indices
• Collaborate with qualitative researchers to triangulate quantitative findings with insights from key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Triangulate quantitative findings with qualitative insights (e.g., map low renewal rates to KIIs on reimbursement delays)
• Design visualizations (Power BI/R) to illustrate gaps in service accessibility and financial risk protection.
• Generate evidence on NHIP bottlenecks (e.g., correlate facility empanelment delays with OOP using geospatial analysis).
• Model scenarios (e.g., premium adjustments, benefit package expansion) for sustainability.
• Contribute to drafting findings and recommendations for improving NHIP and SSF implementation and financial protection.
• Work closely with the Project Manager, Health Economist, and Field Manager to ensure data quality and alignment of analysis with policy questions.
• Support capacity-building sessions for stakeholders in data interpretation and evidence use.

Qualifications and Experience

Core Requirements

Education: At least Master’s in Biostatistics, Health Economics, or Epidemiology, with coursework in econometrics/health financing.

Technical Skills:

• Advanced STATA/R for PSM, logistic regression, and multilevel modelling
• Proficiency in data visualization (Power BI, R) for policy audiences.
• Experience with household survey datasets NLSS, NDHS, NMICS, etc.. and routine management information system datasets (HMIS, openIMIS, etc.).

Domain Knowledge:

• Health insurance systems (e.g., claims processing, risk pooling).
• Financial protection metrics (CHE, impoverishment, Health Insurance Literacy Measure surveys).

Experience:

• 5+ years managing health/social protection datasets (e.g., insurance claims, household surveys).
• Evidence of policy-relevant analyses (e.g., published reports on UHC/OOP reduction).

Preferred Competencies

NHIP/SSF Context:

• Understanding of Nepal’s Health Insurance Programme and Social Security Programmes will be an asset.

Soft Skills:

• Ability to train stakeholders in data interpretation (e.g., CHE thresholds for provincial officials).
• Fluency in English and Nepali.Strong writing skills and ability to translate technical findings into policy-relevant messages.
• Excellent interpersonal and coordination skills to work with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Strong time management and organisational skills.
• Fluency in English and Nepali (written and spoken).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit the following documents to info.nepaloffice@opml.co.uk by 22nd June 2025:

• A cover letter explaining your suitability for the role
• An updated CV with details of relevant experience
• A sample of past analysis work or publication 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and those shortlisted will need to go through rigorous written test and interview.