OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The overall objective of the CAH Programme is to support Member States in the WHO African Region in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, strategies and plans to increase access to evidence-based interventions to reduce risks and improve the overall health and well-being of children and adolescents towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. Within the framework of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescent's health (2016-2030), the Programme works with Member States to integrate national policies, strategies and plans for child and adolescent into national health sector strategic plans and national health systems, and guides their implementation, including reviewing and redesigning programming and organization of the health service delivery platforms, supporting implementation at national and subnational levels, and promoting quality of care. The Programme also provides support for the building of institutional capacity of Member States and catalyzing actions for improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents. In collaboration with the Assistant Regional Directors' Cluster, the Program supports countries in defining the research and innovations agenda to generate and use evidence and strategic information on trends and coverage of interventions and on health and well-being. In addition, the Programme advocates for, fosters partnerships and mobilizes increased resources for child and adolescent health services. The goal is to enable countries in the WHO African Region ensure that evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high-quality, integrated, health services, increase the coverage and quality of effective interventions, and to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies and interventions.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

  • Lead the development, management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and results-based reporting of WHO AFRO plans for Every New born Action Plan (ENAP) to end preventable still births and new born deaths, closely coordinated with efforts to end preventable maternal mortality (EPMM);
  • Provide technical support to member states to coordinate the development of national policies and implementation plans on newborn health in the African Region aligned to the global agenda of Every New born Action Plan (ENAP), closely coordinated with the ending preventable maternal mortality (EPMM) agenda;
  • Promote and coordinate all aspects of Newborn Health across all concerned teams and clusters of WHO and among key stake holders and partners;
  • Coordinate the adoption and national adaptation of global recommendations, guidelines, standards, and tools on newborn health by countries, including at community levels, and ensure strong linkages between maternal and new born health programs;
  • Guide and support countries in development or enhancing quality of care standards for maternal and newborn health;
  • Guide the strengthening of surveillance systems for perinatal deaths to enable better identification, reporting, review, and implementation of responses to mitigate future perinatal deaths;
  • Define packages of care to address newborn health based on national contexts and build the capacity for their implementation along a continuum of care (Antenatal care, intrapartum care, Essential New-born Care, post-natal care, and post-partum Family Planning);
  • Provide technical support for member states to adopt/adapt, implement, and monitor the standards for improving the quality of care for small and sick newborns, including through south-to-south learning;
  • Guide member states in strengthening systems for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on status and trends of neonatal health in the region in line with ENAP, support operations/implementation research, and promote the use of evidence for decision making;
  • Partner with Universities and training institutions to build institutional and health worker capacity in essential newborn care, special newborn care, as well as intensive newborn care;
  • Mobilize resources for newborn health through domestic, multilateral, bilateral, foundations and other funding mechanisms;
  • Strengthen partnerships for Newborn Health (e.g., with H6 and other multilaterals, bilaterals, foundations, professional associations, CSOs, private sector etc.);
  • Strengthen the coordination of partnerships and stakeholders in newborn health management;
  • Advocate for and support social mobilization, education, and communication for newborn health;
  • Oversee WHO-led regional research activities in newborn health;
  • Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including back stopping for the newly formed multicounty assignment teams (MCAT) and country-level staff when required.

    REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

    Education

    Essential: A medical doctor with an advanced degree in the field of Pediatrics, Child Health or Public Health.
    Desirable: Specialized training in Newborn Health, Nutrition or Developmental Pediatrics.

    Experience

    Essential: At minimum of seven years' relevant experience in child and new-born health, quality of care improvement systems, complemented by experience or in-depth knowledge of LMICs in resource-limited countries at the national and international levels.
    Desirable: Demonstrated experience in all aspects of Newborn Health with particular attention to strategies of the small and preterm, sick, and normal newborn, complemented by experience in capacity building, training and mentorship skills. Experience in the UN system or intergovernmental agencies.

    Skills

  • Proven knowledge of policy formulation and strategic planning, monitoring, and evaluation, reporting and evidence-based documentation of child health programmes.
Strong organization skills and capacity to establish partnerships and establish consensus while ensuring effective work practices and ethics, especially in the area of resources mobilization. Proven project management and leadership skills in the planning and coordination of multi-disciplinary public health programmes.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences. Communication Producing results Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English or French with a good working knowledge of the other language.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Portuguese.
The above language requirements are interchangeable.

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 77,326 (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 3583 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 and/or an asynchronous video assessment 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. According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. 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. The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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. Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. 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. WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully. The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int. WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. In case the website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates

This vacancy is archived.

Recommended for you