Technical Officer- Healthy Ageing

Details

Mission and objectives

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations Public Health Organization established in 1948. The objective of the World Health Organization shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. World Health Organization achieves its goals by performing its essential functions: 1. Take a leadership role in key health issues and create partnerships when joint action is needed; 2. Set research priorities and encourage the acquisition, application and dissemination of useful knowledge; 3. Setting standards and criteria and encouraging and monitoring them; 4. Develop ethical and evidence-based policies 5. Provide technical support, be an agent of change and build institutional capacity in a sustainable way; 6. Monitor health status and assess health trends.

Context

The Reproductive and Maternal Health and Healthy Ageing (RMH) Programme, within the Universal Health Coverage - Life Course (ULC) Cluster in the WHO African Region (AFRO), aims to support Member States in the region to end preventable deaths in women, ensure sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, and promote healthy ageing. Guided by WHO-recommended norms and standards and within the framework of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (GSWCAH) (2016-2030) and in alignment with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030), the RMH Programme works by providing technical assistance to build the capacity of Member States to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate policies, strategies, and plans to: • Accelerate progress in reducing the number of women dying from pregnancy-related deaths, • Accelerate progress in reducing inequalities in access and utilization of SRHR services, • Accelerate progress in reducing inequalities related to healthy ageing, especially in older women • Promote multisectoral support for the broader determinants of sexual, reproductive, maternal health, and healthy ageing. Additionally, the RMH programme collaborates with other technical clusters in the WHO African Regional and Country Offices to define the RMH research and innovation agenda. It also strengthens strategic partnerships by bringing together key stakeholders such as the African Union Campaign on Accelerated Reduction on Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), H6 partnership (UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, WHO, UNAIDS, and the World Bank), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Global Fund, Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation, Professional Associations, civil society organizations, etc. to ensure universal access to high-quality, integrated people centered health services using a Primary Health Care (PHC) approach. The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations Public Health Organization established in 1948. The objective of the World Health Organization shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. World Health Organization achieves its goals by performing its essential functions: 1. Take a leadership role in key health issues and create partnerships when joint action is needed; 2. Set research priorities and encourage the acquisition, application and dissemination of useful knowledge; 3. Setting standards and criteria and encouraging and monitoring them; 4. Develop ethical and evidence-based policies; 5. Provide technical support, be an agent of change and build institutional capacity in a sustainable way; 6. Monitor health status and assess health trends.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, Reproductive and Maternal Health and Healthy Ageing (RMH) Programme of the Universal Health Coverage - Life Course (ULC) Cluster, the incumbent supports the Team Leader in ensuring efficient and effective technical and managerial coordination: The incumbent will be expected to perform the following duties: • Support to coordinate the implementation of AFRO Healthy Ageing programme of planned activities, including but not limited to the formulation of strategic RC papers, policy briefs and policy dialogues; the identification and strengthening strategic partnerships with a broad range of policymakers, experts, global and regional funding and implementing partners, academia, RECs, and other AFRO/WHO clusters and regional forums towards effective Regional Healthy Ageing actions; • Play a key role in the adaptation, customization, and dissemination of global and regional policies, strategies, action frameworks, and plans for healthy ageing in line with the global strategies and plans so as to facilitate AFRO-specific response; • Proactively participate in AFRO RMH team in the design and development of evidence-based healthy ageing technical resources such as guidelines, standards, approaches, and tools, and their dissemination to countries and interested partners; • Conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation and annual progress reviews of region-wide Health and Ageing projects and initiatives; report on the status of the Healthy Ageing indicators and trends as required in statutory reports as required; develop and sharing AFRO Healthy and Ageing best practices and capacity building; • Participate in advocacy, partnership and resource mobilization campaigns to improve Healthy Ageing, including conducting, disseminating and facilitating the implementation of research findings to facilitate informed policy decisions and better programming; representing Health Ageing at global and regional forums; • Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping others as required. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.