International Consultant - GEF Project (CI-EWARS)

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Purpose of consultancy

The consultant will provide technical support to four countries (Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) to develop the climate-informed Early Warning and Response System (CI-EWARS) for climate-sensitive diseases. The consultant will provide technical support for the development of the CI-EWARS in close coordination with the WHO Division of Pacific Technical Support (DPS), Pacific Climate Change and Environment (PCE) team, GEF project country teams, and relevant units or departments in the health and other Ministries of the said project countries.

Background

Climate change, as a global phenomenon, has been affecting all countries, but the Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) are highly vulnerable to its impacts. It has been threatening the Pacific Countries through sea-level rise, increased cases of climate-induced disasters like increased intensity of cyclones, and ocean acidification, among others. There are also direct and indirect health impacts in the Islands, which are diverse and serious, including water- and vector-borne diseases, undernutrition, and the mental and physical effects of extreme weather and climate events. Extreme weather and climate events also disrupt the delivery of health care services.

With this background, the GEF LDCF project “Building resilience of health systems in Pacific Island LDCs to Climate Change” was designed to increase the capacity of national and sub-national health systems and institutions and actors, to manage long-term climate-sensitive health risks in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

As part of project implementation support to the countries, WHO has been providing support to the countries to enhance adaptive capacities through integrating climate-related risks into health interventions to control the current and projected future burden of climate-sensitive health risks and diseases.  The development of climate-informed health early warning and response system (CI-EWARS) has been considered under outcome 2 of the project as one of the key adaptation measures for strengthening national health surveillance for climate-sensitive health outcomes. The targeted interventions will be implemented to effectively manage the health risks of climate change through the integration of meteorological and climate information into the Health Information System (HIS) to develop a climate-informed health early warning system. Activities corresponding with this output include i) strengthening partnerships for information sharing across ministries; ii) the provision of technical support and needed equipment to develop the system; iii) supporting the development of SOPs for reporting and responding to climate-sensitive health outcomes at the national level and sub-national level, as well as enhancing the capabilities of public health laboratories.

The current status of disease surveillance is at different stages of its operationalization across the four countries, but all are yet to be linked with climate information. The climate-informed EWARS is an important tool for timely detection and response to climate-sensitive diseases, with due consideration of climate and weather patterns. To facilitate the development of this system, an International Expert is needed, who will provide support, in close coordination with the WHO PMU and relevant units or departments of Health and other Ministries of Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, and other key partners, including meteorological agencies. The CI-EWARS will be designed to integrate with existing national health information and disease surveillance systems to ensure sustainability, country ownership, and the establishment of fully operational CI-EWARS in all four countries.

Deliverables

The consultant will support the design and development of climate informed health early warning and response systems (EWARS), including supporting the implementation of project outcome 2 related activities in four project countries, in close coordination with the WHO DPS PCE team. The specific outputs and deliverables include: 

Objective 1: Review of existing surveillance system and data management mechanisms.

• Deliverable 1.1: Develop and submit an inception report with an understanding of the assignment’s scope, methodological approach and workplan for the entire assignment period, including sub-workplans for Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
• Deliverable 1.2: Review the existing disease surveillance system and health Early Warning and Response System (EWARS) in all four countries and provide high-level recommendations for its strengthening from a climate change perspective.
• Deliverable 1.3: In consultation with the MoH in each country, select and prioritise climate-sensitive diseases for climate-informed EWARS in each country.
• Deliverable 1.4: Provide a brief overview of each country’s health data management system in terms of the number and type of diseases covered; sentinel sites; frequency, and methods of data collection and sharing mechanisms in coordination with the four countries, including the current functional challenges.  
• Deliverable 1.5: Provide an overview report of meteorological data (e.g. temperature, precipitation) coverage, collection, frequency (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly) and sharing system in coordination with the four countries.
• Deliverable 1.6: Undertake an inception country and EWARS system mapping visit to all four countries and gather information for scoping of EWARS (sites, geographical and population coverage etc.).
• Deliverable 1.7: Prepare stocktake report detailing current status and country specific recommendations for setting up climate-informed EWARS, including a gap and readiness assessment covering institutional, data and human resource dimensions. It includes an overview report of Deliverables 1.2; 1.3; 1.4; 1.5; 1.6, and procurement requirements for ICT hardware/software/equipment etc.  

Objective 2: Development of climate-informed health Early Warning and Response System (EWARS).

• Deliverable 2.1: Develop country-specific system architecture reflecting the existing human resources structure and configurations for functional climate-informed EWARS with appropriate dashboards, visualizations, incorporating defined alert thresholds, core climate variables, and clear disease-climate linkage logic. It includes System testing and validation, including operationalisation of dashboards and maps.
• Deliverable 2.2: Prepare operational manual of the system and operational materials, including training and user’s guidelines and provide training on the system to be presented to each country.
• Deliverable 2.3: Organise a joint workshop with participation of all four countries and country specific workshop (on-line and/or in person) and orient on the operation of the developed system(s). 

Objective 3: Technical support for the operationalisation of climate-informed health Early Warning and Response System (CI-EWARS)

• Deliverable 3.1: Organise monthly online knowledge sharing and troubleshooting meetings on a regular basis and provide remote support for troubleshooting in each country. Provide technical advisory support to the countries in case a similar system is already in place.
• Deliverable 3.2: Provide technical support to develop/modify the EWARS bulletin/reporting structure to reflect climate-informed EWARS.
• Deliverable 3.3: Provide support to develop user-friendly health early warning products for frontline health care workers.
• Deliverable 3.4: Prepare and submit a completion report with an overview of the developed EWARS and recommendations on how each government will be able to sustain the system in each project country and potential replication in other Pacific countries.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: 

• Master’s degree in environmental health, public health, epidemiology or related fields.

Desirable: 

• PhD or equivalent degree in epidemiology, medicine or related public health field.

Experience

Essential: 

• At least eleven (11) years of relevant professional experience in the field of climate change, environmental health or public health with a specific focus on surveillance systems, including experience in health-climate data integration or modelling. 

Desirable:

• Experience working with WHO and/or other UN agencies in a related field is an advantage.
• Experience working closely with government and partner organizations in designing, implementing, and evaluating health early warning systems and disease surveillance systems.
• Experience working in developing countries, preferably small island states or resource-limited settings, is considered an asset.

Technical skills and knowledge

• Strong expertise in data collection, analysis, interpretation, reporting, and translating complex data into actionable recommendations.
• In-depth knowledge of risk assessment, early warning triggers, and climate-informed health early warning and response systems.
• Proven ability to develop policies, guidelines, SOPs, and operational frameworks for early warning and response, including integration of EWARS into national health and surveillance systems.
• Skilled in the use of digital health tools and surveillance platforms to support system strengthening.
• Demonstrated capacity in strategic planning, stakeholder coordination (government, partners, donors), and health workforce capacity building.
• Experience leading large-scale and multi-country programmes.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, reporting, and presentation skills.
   

Languages:

Essential: Fluency in English Language.

Competencies

• Technical expertise
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communicating in a credible and effective way.

• Producing results

Location

Remote-based with travels to Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Travel

The consultant will be home based and will be required to travel to Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. There may be travel required to Suva, Fiji, to meet with the WHO DPS PCE team.

Remuneration (travel costs are excluded)

• Remuneration: The remuneration for this international consultancy is estimated to be in the range of USD 500 to USD 625 per day (Band C) for 110 working days spread over 11 months, subject to qualifications and experience.
• Expected duration of contract: 110 working days, spread over 11 months from 1 July 2026 to 31 May 2027 (subject to completion of recruitment and selection formalities).

Additional Information:

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