Communications Officer

Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life. WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage. We direct and coordinate the world’s response to health emergencies. And we promote healthier lives – from pregnancy care through old age.

In the context of WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work (GPW) and its three-fold mission to promote, provide, and protect health, the incumbent will support communications activities at the country level. Key deliverables include: accurate and timely production and dissemination of high-quality public information products which highlight WHO and partners work on the ground; promoting achievements and results of key public health initiatives and building contacts with the press/media and key partners and optimizing networking opportunities. This role also includes supporting the regular preparation of communication updates and newsletters for the WHO Regional Office for Africa, ensuring that all outputs are well-coordinated and consistent with WHO’s communication standards.

The incumbent will work under direct supervision of the External Relations Officer and overall guidance of the WHO Representative in South Africa to ensure WHO’s work and health issues gain visibility among partners, the general public, the media and other key stakeholders.
While delivering the tasks, the Communications Officer ensure that all communications and visibility work is fully aligned with the accountability, supervision, and reporting structure under the External Relations Officer as well as maintaining coherence of messaging and coordinated workflows across the office.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the External Relations Officer or his designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will work within the following tasks:

1. Identify subjects of interest to develop and improve media / communications activities at the country level and develop a communications plan for the country office, which works in synergy with the global and regional communications strategies.

2. Support the coordination, drafting, and dissemination of WCO’s communication bulletins and quarterly newsletters submitted to the WHO Regional Office for Africa and other partners, ensuring quality, accuracy, and timeliness.

3. Produce public information materials such as press releases and media advisories on WHO events, products and issues for dissemination to the print, electronic and online media, as well as media talking points for WHO Representative.

4. Build relations with the national media and ensure that WHO issues, and work are regularly profiled by the national media,

5. Take photographs of key WHO events, activities as well as of key health programmes for use on the country and regional websites as photo stories, as well as on social media,

6. Monitor media coverage of WHO issues, programmes and people in the country and provide regular reports to the WHO country team,

7. Organize photographic shoots and interviews and filming opportunities to support high visibility of WHO achievements through television, radio and newspapers, etc.,

8. Manage the social media accounts of the country office in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure consistency of approach and regularly update content on these platforms,

9. Manage the development and maintenance of the country website, in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure consistency of approach and regularly update content on the website,

10. Research and write feature stories and messages, ideally bringing in a human element from real life experiences,

11. Collaborate with all relevant actors, including the health cluster, regional and field offices, other WHO departments, UN agencies, and other partners to identify and create communication opportunities and prepare communication campaigns on specific topics.