The World Bank is seeking a Health Specialist/Economist to support its health engagement in Mauritania. The role involves implementing the Bank’s health operational portfolio, contributing to analytical and advisory services, and participating in policy dialogue with government counterparts. The successful candidate will work closely with various stakeholders to enhance health outcomes and strengthen primary health systems. This position requires a strong background in public health, health systems, or health financing, along with excellent communication skills in both French and English.
Candidate Requirements:
Master’s degree in economics, public health, or related fields
Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org.
HEALTH, NUTRITION AND POPULATION GLOBAL PRACTICE CONTEXT:
The World Bank Group (WBG) is committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) to ensure that all individuals receive quality, affordable healthcare without financial hardship, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 3. This goal includes financial risk protection, access to essential health services, and affordable medicines and vaccines. The WBG's efforts are closely linked to reducing maternal and child mortality, improving nutrition, strengthening health systems, and combating communicable diseases. From 2000 to 2016, the WBG invested $35 billion in Health, Nutrition, and Population (HNP), doubling annual lending to $2.6 billion. The current HNP portfolio stands at $11.5 billion. The WBG supports countries in expanding healthcare access, protecting against poverty due to illness, and promoting investments for healthy societies. Key initiatives include the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to improve health for women, children, and adolescents, and Results-Based Financing (RBF) to enhance healthcare quality and reach. The WBG also addresses pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and nutrition, aiming to reduce stunting and improve food security globally.
Africa has registered strong economic growth in recent years that has helped to reduce poverty levels in the continent. Yet, as Africa’s population expands, the region faces a critical challenge of creating the foundations for long-term inclusive growth. Many countries still contend with high levels of child and maternal mortality, malnutrition is far too common, and most health systems are not able to deal effectively with epidemics and the growing burden of chronic diseases. These challenges call for renewed commitments and accelerated progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC)—the principle that everyone receives needed health services without financial hardship. Most African countries have integrated UHC as a goal in their national health strategies. Yet, progress in translating commitments to UHC into expanded domestic resources for health, effective development assistance, and ultimately, equitable and quality health services, and increased financial protection has been slow. To accelerate progress toward UHC in Africa, the countries will require political leadership and a clear strategic vision to achieve their UHC targets and to be able to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths, strengthen resilience to public health emergencies, reduce financial hardship linked to illness, and strengthen the foundations for long-term economic growth. https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview
MAURITANIA COUNTRY CONTEXT
Mauritania is a vast, arid, and resource-rich country in West Africa, with a population of approximately 5 million people and one of the lowest population densities on the continent. The country’s economy is driven by extractive industries (iron ore, gold, and natural gas) alongside agriculture, livestock, and fishing, but faces significant structural challenges including poverty, unemployment, and income inequality. Over 61% of Mauritanians live in urban areas, with Nouakchott, the capital, experiencing rapid urbanization. Despite recent economic growth and political stability, Mauritania’s human development indicators remain among the lowest globally, with persistent disparities between urban and rural areas and between income groups.
In Health Sector, Mauritania faces considerable challenges, particularly in maternal and child health. The country has one of the highest maternal mortality rate in West Africa, estimated at 424 per 100,000 live births in 2022 and a high under-five mortality rate. The fertility rate remains elevated at around 5.1 children per woman, putting pressure on social services and contributing to rapid population growth. Adolescent fertility is also high, with early marriage and teenage pregnancies prevalent, especially in rural areas. Malnutrition is widespread: about one in four children under five is stunted, and over half of women of reproductive age suffer from anemia, often linked to food insecurity and poor dietary diversity.
Access to health services is uneven, with pronounced urban–rural disparities. Only about 15% of the population has access to essential health services within a 5 km radius of their nearest health facility. Health infrastructure is often inadequate, with many facilities lacking basic equipment, electricity, clean water, and qualified personnel. The distribution of health workers is highly skewed toward urban centers, leaving rural and remote areas underserved. Financial and geographic barriers, as well as sociocultural norms, further limit women’s and girls’ access to health care, including reproductive health services.
The World Bank has a substantial engagement in Mauritania’s health sector, supporting the government’s efforts to improve health, nutrition, and population (HNP) outcomes, strengthen primary health systems, and enhance pandemic preparedness. Key projects include: (i) Health System Support Project (INAYA Elargi- P179558): Focused on improving access to and quality maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health and nutrition services through the implementation of Performance-Based Financing (PBF) strategy and (ii) Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD+): Regional initiative aimed at empowering women and adolescent girls, increasing access to quality reproductive health services, and addressing sociocultural barriers to girls’ education and delayed marriage.
Mauritania has also joined the Global Financing Facility (GFF). The country is developing a new investment case to mobilize additional resources for maternal and child health, with a focus on efficiency, equity, and universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030.
To strengthen the World Bank’s health team for Mauritania, the World Bank is recruiting a Health Specialist/Economist based in Nouakchott. The work program will focus on supporting the World Bank’s health engagement in Mauritania. Additionally, within Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, the successful candidate might contribute to selected regional/global health engagements and solutions areas based on their expertise and interest.
The Health Specialist will report to the Practice Manager for the Health Nutrition & Population unit (HAWH2) within the Africa Region (AFW). For day-to-day operational work, the Health Specialist will support Task Team Leaders on assigned tasks and work closely with other Task Team Leaders and the Human Development Program Leader. The Health Specialist will be subject to all World Bank regulations and guidelines applicable to staff. The Health Specialist will have the following key responsibilities, inter alia:
• Support implementation of the Bank’s HNP operational portfolio in HAWH2, including the preparation of selected national and/or regional operations. This will be including contributing to technical discussions and monitoring of the Bank portfolio on a day-to-day basis in close collaboration with the relevant government agencies and development partners;
• Contribute to high-quality analytical and advisory services tasks in HAWH2;
• Participate in and contribute to technical assistance work to support relevant capacity-building activities including workshops, seminars, etc. ;
• Participate in and contribute to policy dialogue with government counterparts -- including at the national and sub-national levels -- and with other relevant stakeholders;
• Help teams with building and maintaining partnerships and networks within the Bank (in HNP as well as other sectors) and with external partners;
• Contribute to sector-specific or cross-sectoral inputs for various operational products/outputs (e.g., sector/country briefings, background reports, portfolio performance reviews, etc.);
• Review and contribute to sector-specific or cross-sectoral policy and other documents;
• Organize and participate in missions of the health team;
• Respond to ad hoc information requests from internal and external parties;
• Carry out any other activity required as part of the health and human capital portfolio.
Selection Criteria
Poverty knows no boundaries, and neither does excellence. Our success is fueled by our diversity and differences, and we are constantly seeking highly qualified individuals with varied backgrounds, both from within countries and across the world. We expect the chosen candidate to possess the following qualifications:
• Master’s degree in economics, public health, health systems, public policy, health financing, or related fields. Additionally, having an experience in the practice of public health in Mauritania with a substantial emphasis on public and/or private health sectors, or a focus on health financing / health economics, would be considered advantageous.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in health and/or related fields.
• Demonstrated operational project management and portfolio management is essential.
• Significant experience with WBG or non-governmental institution policies, operations, instruments, and systems is desired.
• Proficiency in French and English are required, including excellent oral and written communication skills. The candidate should be capable of producing documents on complex subjects, delivering persuasive speeches, and conveying ideas clearly and succinctly in French. Additionally, the candidate should exhibit a satisfactory level of comprehension and written proficiency in English.
• Strong interpersonal and team skills, and a track record of functioning effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix environment are essential.
• A drive for results, including a proven track record of high standards/accountability for work products, meeting deadlines, an ability to prioritize tasks within his/her work program and strategies for working collectively with others to deliver products of the highest caliber.
Competencies:
• Lead and Innovate: Encourages and works with others to identify and implement relevant solutions. Identifies opportunities in changing circumstances and energizes others to continuously improve, using intentional strategies to boost morale, team spirit, and productivity. Helps others to understand problems, client needs and the underlying context. Ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Deliver Results for Clients: Develops and implements solutions that show understanding of how clients and/or own work achieves results that are financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable. Shares new insights based on in-depth understanding of the client and recommends solutions for current and future needs of clients. Holds self and team accountable for risk management and outcomes. Maintains client relationships in the face of conflicting demands or directions and provides evidence-based advice and solutions based on sound diagnosis and knowledge.
• Collaborate Within Teams and Across Boundaries: Collaborates across organizational boundaries, internally and externally with a sense of mutuality and respect. Consistently engages others in open dialogue, brings out any conflicting viewpoints and incorporates viewpoints into solutions, giving credit where credit is due. Leverages expertise of all team members to ensure successful outcomes. Shows leadership in ensuring the team stays organized and focused, and actively seeks and considers diverse ideas and approaches.
• Create, Apply and Share Knowledge: Ensures systematic sharing of best practices and learning from lessons from across institutions, clients, and partners. Articulates ideas clearly and persuasively, both in spoken and written communication, to effectively engage audiences of diverse levels.
• Make Smart Decisions: Applies critical thinking and seeks inputs and experience from others to recommend a course of action consistent with the WBG's strategy. Evaluates risk and anticipates the short and long-term implications of decisions.
WBG Culture Attributes:
1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders. 2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact. 3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.
The World Bank Group offers comprehensive benefits, including a retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; and paid leave, including parental leave, as well as reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.
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Summary by Impactpool
The World Bank is seeking a Health Specialist/Economist to support its health engagement in Mauritania. The role involves implementing the Bank’s health operational portfolio, contributing to analytical and advisory services, and participating in policy dialogue with government counterparts. The successful candidate will work closely with various stakeholders to enhance health outcomes and strengthen primary health systems. This position requires a strong background in public health, health systems, or health financing, along with excellent communication skills in both French and English.
Candidate Requirements:
Master’s degree in economics, public health, or related fields
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