Job Posting

The mission of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

WHE brings together and enhances WHO's operational, technical and normative capacities in outbreaks, emergencies and risk analysis to address all health hazards across the risk management cycle in a predictable, capable, dependable, adaptable and accountable manner.  WHE is designed to operate within the broader humanitarian and emergency management architecture in support of people at risk of, or affected by, outbreaks and emergencies, consistent with ways that strengthen local and national capabilities.

The objectives of the programme area, Country Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR (CPI), includes the following: to monitor and evaluate country preparedness for health and humanitarian emergencies, to develop country capacity-building  plan for countries with critical capacities and to act as the Secretariat of IHR (2005).  The CPI has an all-hazards approach and involves all three levels of WHO. CPI prioritizes support to the most vulnerable and low-capacity countries.

The intersectoral nature of emergency preparedness entails for CPI a large partnership with other international organizations and the consideration of several global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals related to health, emergencies and disasters, IHR (2005), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, the Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, regional strategies such as the APSED III, the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response,  the European Health Policy (Health 2020), and the regional strategies for disaster risk management. CPI coordinates its activities with international and national initiatives such as the Global Health Security Agenda and the Universal Health Coverage 2030 and the For the Future vision.

The Preparedness, Readiness and Core Capacity (PCB) unit is the main hub for technical support to WHO's Regional Office and country offices in their effort to strengthn intersectoral national capacity for the early detection, timely and effective response, to public health emergencies as required under the IHR (2005). Working closely with the other WHE staff, the PCB ensures that needs listed in national action plans are translated into targeted capacity-building in the priority.vulnerable coutries.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the framework of the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following responsibilities:

1.  Support, facilitate and coordinate intercountry alert and response networks, both existing and to be introduced taking into consideration the requirements of IHR (2005) and APSED III.

2.  Promote multidisciplinary and cross-cutting approaches and activities to facilitate full participation within and outside WHE, working with Member States and key partners on all aspects of successful preparedness and readiness strengthening for implementation of surveillance and epidemiology capacities in line with the requirements of APSED III and IHR (2005).

3. Provide technical advice and support Member States to implement regional activities for the prevention and control of AMR and arboviral diseases (e.g. chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever and zika viruses) in collaboration with the responsible regional unit.

4. Promote interprogrammatic coordination with other technical entities within WHE and serve as WHE focal point for internal cross-cutting activities for antimicrobial resistance and arboviral diseases among various groups in WHO.

5. In liaison with internal and external stakeholders, support WHO's work in the public health-related aspects of mass gatherings.

6. Provide guidance and make recommendations to WHE management, country offices and partners on the design, monitoring, analysis and interpretation of public health, travel and social measures applied in response to emerging infectious diseases with human-to-human transmission and epidemic potential (such as pandemic influenza, MERS, SARS, Ebola and COVID-19).

7. Provide technical support for the conduct of IHR monitoring and evaluation framework activities and the development and revisions of national action plans for health security.

8. Provide technical advice and expertise to strengthen country preparedness and response capacities for public health emergencies at all levels, including workforce development, through the organization of workshops, training programmes and assessments of country performance in liaison with appropriate internal and external stakeholders.

9. In collaboration with other members of WHE in the Regional Office, provide technical assistance in planning, implementation and analysis of epidemiological studies and other information on emerging infectious diseases and public health emergencies.

10. Collaborate with country offices and UN agencies and partners to support identification of suitable topics and the development and submission of manuscripts to Western Pacific Surveillance and Response and other scientific peer-reviewed journals as appropriate.

11. Conduct site visits related to epidemiological investigations of outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases and other public health emergencies and provide field-based technical support and programmatic guidance.

12.  Identify epidemiological training needs within the Region and work with internal and external stakeholders to support national health authorities in developing, delivering and evaluating training programmes.

13. Promote and collaborate in resource mobilization efforts to facilitate the implementation of the regional programmes at the national, subregional and local levels, including timely preparation of proposals, briefs and comprehensive reports as per donor requirements.

14. Collaborate in the preparation of the biennial work plan and execution of international cooperation projects, including the analysis of political, technical and socioeconomic issues and performance assessment;

15. Upon request, provide technical support, backstopping and gap-filling for emergency activities at any level of the Organization or scale of emergency; and

16. Perform other related duties, as requested by supervisor, including provision of support to other areas of work and teams or programme areas within the WHE, as required. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced level university degree (master's or above) in medicine, epidemiology, communicable diseases, public policy, public health or other field relevant to the post. 

Desirable: Specialized training or a degree in a health related field, management, statistics or any quantitative discipline. Graduate of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme or equivalent.

Experience

Essential: Minimum seven years of relevant experience, at the national and international levels, in developing, implementing and assessing public health surveillance systems or working in public health programmes related to control of emerging infectious diseases. Recent experience of outbreak investiation and response. 

Desirable: Relevant experience in emerging infectious disease surveillance and response including knowledge and experience of working on COVID-19, AMR and arboviruses. Previous relevant international experience in working with WHO in a developing country context. Previous work experience in Asia is an asset.

Skills

-Demonstrated knowledge of emerging infectious diseases, communicable disease prevention and control, surveillance and epidemiology.

-Capacity to promote and implement collaboration and exchange with partners, toward the implementation of best practices.

-Knowledge of WHO mandate, policies and processes.

-Knowledge of the One Health approach to infectious diseases and its concepts.

-Planning, management and analytical skills, with the ability to foster consensus and team spirit.

-Ability to work flexibly, autonomously and efficiently, in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to adapt to shifting priorities.

-Demonstrated ability to use and make sense of complex data and/or information to effectively solve problems and contribute to public health decision-making.

-Strong writing skills including for presentations, proposals, concept notes, reports and other documents.

-Excellent communication, interpersonal and diplomatic skills.

-Experience synthesizing information and communicating effectively in a timely manner to broad and diverse audiences.

-Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse cultural and educational backgrounds and maintain a high standard of personal conduct.

WHO Competencies

Producing results
Communication
Teamwork
Building and promoting partnership across the Organization and beyond
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of written and spoken English
Desirable: Working knowledge of other UN language/s an advantage. 

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 74,913 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 3096 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.