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.
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
Traditional medicine remains a major source of health care for communities across the African Region. Since the Regional Committee adopted the first regional strategy in 2000 (resolution AFR/RC50/R3), the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) has supported Member States in developing national policies, legal frameworks, regulatory mechanisms and research capacity for traditional medicine, and in integrating safe, effective and quality-assured practices and products into national health systems. This work is now framed by the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2025, and by the Plan of Action of the Third Decade of African Traditional Medicine, developed with the African Union Commission.
Within the Regional Office, the traditional medicine portfolio is managed by the MDI Unit under Health Systems and Services (HSS), in the Universal Health Coverage/Life Course Cluster. The Unit convenes the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine (REACT), coordinates the African Traditional Medicine Day on 31 August each year, supports the African Union Commission on the Plan of Action of the Third Decade, and represents the Region in the global platforms: the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) and the WHO Global Summits on Traditional Medicine, the third of which is scheduled for 2027. The regional workplan for 2026–2027 is aligned with the five cross-cutting GTMC priorities: evidence-informed choices and the TM Global Library; regulatory benchmarks for herbal products; clinical guidance and data networks; the Third Global Summit; country leadership and global cooperation.
This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of the WHO AFRO regional programme on traditional medicine. It comes at a time of transition in the dedicated capacity of the Unit for this portfolio, while requests from Member States for support on policy, regulation, research and integration keep growing. The assignment also reflects the commitment of WHO to open opportunities to technically competent professionals who are building a career in public health, so they gain international experience while contributing to the work of the Organization. WHO AFRO is therefore seeking a UN Volunteer to serve as Technical Officer, Traditional Medicine, at the Regional Office in Brazzaville.
Within the Regional Office, the traditional medicine portfolio is managed by the MDI Unit under Health Systems and Services (HSS), in the Universal Health Coverage/Life Course Cluster. The Unit convenes the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine (REACT), coordinates the African Traditional Medicine Day on 31 August each year, supports the African Union Commission on the Plan of Action of the Third Decade, and represents the Region in the global platforms: the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC), the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH) and the WHO Global Summits on Traditional Medicine, the third of which is scheduled for 2027. The regional workplan for 2026–2027 is aligned with the five cross-cutting GTMC priorities: evidence-informed choices and the TM Global Library; regulatory benchmarks for herbal products; clinical guidance and data networks; the Third Global Summit; country leadership and global cooperation.
This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of the WHO AFRO regional programme on traditional medicine. It comes at a time of transition in the dedicated capacity of the Unit for this portfolio, while requests from Member States for support on policy, regulation, research and integration keep growing. The assignment also reflects the commitment of WHO to open opportunities to technically competent professionals who are building a career in public health, so they gain international experience while contributing to the work of the Organization. WHO AFRO is therefore seeking a UN Volunteer to serve as Technical Officer, Traditional Medicine, at the Regional Office in Brazzaville.
Task description
Under the guidance and overall supervision of the Head of the MDI Unit, and in close collaboration with the Technical Officer for Essential Medicines, who acts as Regional Office focal point for traditional medicine, the UN Volunteer will contribute to the implementation of the regional traditional medicine workplan 2026–2027. The incumbent is assigned all or part of the following responsibilities, according to needs and agenda:
1- Support to Member States: policy, legislation and integration
• Support Member States, through the WHO country offices, in developing or updating national traditional medicine policies and strategic plans, legal frameworks and their implementing texts, codes of ethics and practice, and registration mechanisms for traditional health practitioners.
• Review country requests and proposals for technical or financial support on traditional medicine, and follow up on the support provided.
• Contribute to the adaptation and roll-out of WHO guidelines for the integration of traditional medicine into national health systems.
2- Regional coordination and expert advice
• Support the preparation, conduct and follow-up of REACT meetings: agendas, background documents, reports and tracking of recommendations.
• Support the commemoration of the African Traditional Medicine Day: theme proposal, guidance to countries, compilation and dissemination of country reports.
• Draft memoranda, concept notes, briefing notes, talking points and correspondence with Member States, the African Union Commission and partners.
3- Quality, safety and regulation of herbal medicines
• Contribute to capacity-building activities on harmonized regulation, quality assurance, registration and post-market surveillance of herbal medicines, in liaison with national regulatory authorities and the IRCH network.
• Support the follow-up of the interregional training workshops on the quality and safety of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine products, practice and practitioners.
3- Evidence and research
• Contribute to the update and publication of the African traditional medicine booklets and compendium, and to the regional pharmacopoeia initiative.
• Support the follow-up of the regional research priority agenda for traditional medicine, including research and clinical evaluation of traditional medicine-based therapeutics.
• Help populate the WHO TCIM Global Library with reviewed African publications.
4- Global cooperation, partnerships and reporting
• Support AFRO engagement with the GTMC, the WHO headquarters TCIM unit, the African Union Commission, IRCH and WHO collaborating centres, including memoranda to WHO Representatives and nominations of country participants to international meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation of Member States’ participation in the Third WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (2027).
• Monitor implementation of the regional workplan (activities, budget execution, indicators) and prepare quarterly reports and inputs to GTMC and donor reports.
• Any other duties as 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 taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events marking 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 and write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications, websites, newsletters and press releases.
• 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.
Results and expected outputs
As an active WHO AFRO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to WHO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• The regional traditional medicine workplan 2026–2027 implemented as planned, with progress documented in quarterly reports and in the inputs to the GTMC annual report.
• REACT meetings and the African Traditional Medicine Day prepared, conducted and documented.
• Member States supported, through the WHO country offices, in developing or updating traditional medicine policies, legal frameworks and regulatory tools.
• AFRO contributions to the GTMC, IRCH, the African Union Commission and the Third WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine delivered on time.
• Age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
1- Support to Member States: policy, legislation and integration
• Support Member States, through the WHO country offices, in developing or updating national traditional medicine policies and strategic plans, legal frameworks and their implementing texts, codes of ethics and practice, and registration mechanisms for traditional health practitioners.
• Review country requests and proposals for technical or financial support on traditional medicine, and follow up on the support provided.
• Contribute to the adaptation and roll-out of WHO guidelines for the integration of traditional medicine into national health systems.
2- Regional coordination and expert advice
• Support the preparation, conduct and follow-up of REACT meetings: agendas, background documents, reports and tracking of recommendations.
• Support the commemoration of the African Traditional Medicine Day: theme proposal, guidance to countries, compilation and dissemination of country reports.
• Draft memoranda, concept notes, briefing notes, talking points and correspondence with Member States, the African Union Commission and partners.
3- Quality, safety and regulation of herbal medicines
• Contribute to capacity-building activities on harmonized regulation, quality assurance, registration and post-market surveillance of herbal medicines, in liaison with national regulatory authorities and the IRCH network.
• Support the follow-up of the interregional training workshops on the quality and safety of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine products, practice and practitioners.
3- Evidence and research
• Contribute to the update and publication of the African traditional medicine booklets and compendium, and to the regional pharmacopoeia initiative.
• Support the follow-up of the regional research priority agenda for traditional medicine, including research and clinical evaluation of traditional medicine-based therapeutics.
• Help populate the WHO TCIM Global Library with reviewed African publications.
4- Global cooperation, partnerships and reporting
• Support AFRO engagement with the GTMC, the WHO headquarters TCIM unit, the African Union Commission, IRCH and WHO collaborating centres, including memoranda to WHO Representatives and nominations of country participants to international meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation of Member States’ participation in the Third WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (2027).
• Monitor implementation of the regional workplan (activities, budget execution, indicators) and prepare quarterly reports and inputs to GTMC and donor reports.
• Any other duties as 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 taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events marking 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 and write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications, websites, newsletters and press releases.
• 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.
Results and expected outputs
As an active WHO AFRO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to WHO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• The regional traditional medicine workplan 2026–2027 implemented as planned, with progress documented in quarterly reports and in the inputs to the GTMC annual report.
• REACT meetings and the African Traditional Medicine Day prepared, conducted and documented.
• Member States supported, through the WHO country offices, in developing or updating traditional medicine policies, legal frameworks and regulatory tools.
• AFRO contributions to the GTMC, IRCH, the African Union Commission and the Third WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine delivered on time.
• Age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
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