OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
The WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) aims to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks, and lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. The main objective of the Health Emergency Information & Risk Assessment (HIM) Programme Area is: The Health Emergency Information & Risk Assessment Programme Area is responsible for providing timely and authoritative situation analysis, risk assessment and response monitoring available for all major health threats, events and emergencies. This includes detecting, verifying and assessing the risk of potential and ongoing health emergencies; establishing data collection mechanisms and monitoring ongoing health emergency operations; providing data management, analytics and reporting platform to produce and disseminate timely emergency health information products.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Epidemiological surveillance, including early warning alert and response (EWAR) systems:
--> Provide technical assistance on early detection of events through national surveillance systems such as changes in trends in weekly aggregate data, and benchmarking for signals/alert thresholds for epidemic-prone conditions;
--> Provide technical support to Member States for establishing or strengthening early warning surveillance systems for detection and response to epidemic prone diseases and for conducting real-time analysis of EWARN surveillance data for health intelligence, epidemic forecasting and detection;
--> Contribute to outbreak investigations in affected Member States, especially in the area of epidemiology.
--> Facilitate training and capacity building in outbreak preparedness and investigation, including assisting Member States in development and updating of outbreak response plans and guidelines;
--> Conduct scenario planning for outbreaks of epidemic- and pandemic-prone diseases and contribute to simulation exercises, using these disease-based outbreak scenarios; --> Participate in design and implementation of research activities supportive to communicable disease control and outbreak response.When in charge of the HIM 24/7 Duty Officer
--> Conduct event based surveillance (EBS) activities by gathering and assessing information on public health events and emergencies caused by any hazard;
--> Verify signals and contribute to joint risk assessments with IHR States Parties and relevant WHO Technical Units, and help organize international support to the public health response in the affected Member State(s) when requested and required;
--> Coordinate activities involving other WHO units and partners, including IHR NFPs, technical units in EURO, other WHO Regional Offices, WHO HQ and with the European Commission and relevant EU institutions and agencies, concerning management of acute public health emergencies caused by any hazard;
--> Prepare and post public health information on the WHO Event Management System (EMS) to facilitate health decision making and distribute relevant public health event information to all 196 IHR States Parties by creating and clearing postings for the global IHR Event Information Site (EIS);
--> Provide situational awareness of epidemic threats through the preparation and delivery of briefing materials and situational analyses to a broad range of staff within and outside HIM, DEC and WHO, as well as through conducting and participating in the daily HIM coordination briefings (“Morning Meeting”) and convening multidisciplinary structured risk assessments, as appropriate.
Other Duties: --> Contribute to maintenance and continuous development of public health event management tools and processes used in WHO regionally and globally, and provide training in the use of these tools for WHO staff in the Regional and Country Offices;--> Provide support to Member States in maintenance and strengthening of the IHR core capacities;--> Act as a surge capacity in response to emergencies, crisis and disease outbreaks at national, regional and global levels, as needed;Perform other related responsibilities, including replacing and/or backstopping for others within and outside the team.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Essential: University degree in epidemiology.
Desirable: A postgraduate degree in epidemiology and/or public health.
Experience
Essential: At least five (5) years of combined national and international experience, with at least two (2) years of international experience, in working in public health epidemiology, with experience in participating in outbreak and emergency response field missions.
Desirable: Experience in WHO with an understanding of its mandate, goals and procedures an advantage, or experience in the UN System.
Skills
- Theoretical and practical expertise in epidemiology and communicable disease surveillance, including early warning and alert systems;- Ability to analyze current surveillance systems and possess the capability to develop and plan innovative and appropriate solutions for their improvement;- Ability to contribute to capacity building activities for Member States both individually and as a member of a team, including outside partners.
WHO Competencies
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Teamwork
Communication
Producing results
Use of Language Skills
Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Russian.
REMUNERATION
WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 60,962 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 3582 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
- Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
- A written test may be used as a form of screening.
- In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
- Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
- Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.
- For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
- WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
- WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.
- WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
- WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.
- Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
- For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.