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.

The Disease Prevention and Control (DPC) Cluster of WHO AFRO works to reduce the disease burden across the African Region by strengthening disease prevention, control, and elimination efforts. Guided by WHO’s mission to promote health and serve the vulnerable, DPC supports countries to implement integrated, people‑centred, and evidence‑based interventions. Its approach combines technical guidance, health systems strengthening, and multisectoral action to address both the causes of disease and the conditions that make populations vulnerable, ensuring equitable access and impact.

The cluster’s core objectives are to provide leadership and coordination for disease control; develop and deploy technical guidance, tools, and innovations; generate and use strategic information for decision‑making; and build national capacity to deliver effective prevention and control programmes. Within this framework, ESPEN plays a key role by supporting countries to prevent, control, and eliminate neglected tropical diseases through data‑driven planning, technical assistance, partnership coordination, and strengthened programme implementation—directly contributing to DPC’s mission of advancing health and reducing disease burden across the Region.

Within the DPC cluster, the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) is a flagship initiative established to support countries in the African Region to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) through data-driven strategies, technical assistance, and coordinated partnerships. Its work contributes directly to the strategic objectives of DPC, which include: (i) providing leadership in disease control coordination, partnership development, and resource mobilization; (ii) contributing to the development and deployment of WHO technical products, services, and tools, including the adoption of new technologies and innovations; (iii) supporting the generation and use of strategic information for decision-making and investment optimization; and (iv) facilitating technical support and institutional capacity building, including assistance to national disease programmes and regulatory authorities.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the ESPEN Team lead or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the ESPEN Partnerships & Communications Officer UNV will:

• Identify subjects of interest to develop and improve media/communication activities and develop a communications plan which works in synergy with the global and regional communications strategies.
• Produce high quality public information materials such as press releases, notes for the media, media advisories, social media posts and other material on WHO ESPEN events, products and issues for dissemination to the print, electronic and online media, as well as media talking points for country spokespeople.
• Support the conceptualization and implementation of communications campaigns aligned with ESPEN’s strategic priorities.
• Maintain and update ESPEN’s digital platforms, including the ESPEN portal and social media channels.
• Collaborate with DPC Graphic Designer to design documents and materials to ensure they are visually appealing and true.
• Liaise with country offices and partners to ensure alignment of activities with ESPEN’s strategic objectives and donor requirements.
• Track and report on partnership activities, identifying opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
• Track analytics and prepare reports on communications performance and outreach.
• Coordinate the publication and dissemination of the ESPEN Newsletter.
• Maintain ESPEN media archives including photos and videos.
• Research and write feature stories and messages, ideally bringing in a human element from real life experiences.

Other Duties
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

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.