Junior Public Health Professional - Primary Health Care

Terms of reference and JPP Profile

JPP - Primary Health Care

Background and Rationale:

COVID-19 has underlined the significance of PHC-centred health systems for resilience and UHC. WHO is leading on support to countries on PHC-led equitable recovery.

Since the Declaration of Alma Ata on Primary Health Care (PHC) in 1978, much progress has been achieved by countries around the world in providing a package of essential services, targeting specially women and children and the most vulnerable. While we have made great strides in health outcomes globally over the past 40 years, we face many ongoing challenges. The global community came together in Astana in October 2018 to revisit PHC and reaffirmed that “a primary health care (PHC) approach is the most effective way to sustainably solve today’s health and health system challenges. The PHC approach is foundational to achieving our shared global goals in Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” The Seventy-third World Health Assembly took note of the Operational Framework for Primary Health Care in November 2020.

Health system strengthening for UHC is a priority for all countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region, and UHC is a flagship priority for the Region. It is essential to strengthen PHC to ensure “health services that are high quality, safe, comprehensive, integrated, accessible, available and affordable for everyone everywhere.”

Duration: Two years

Duty Station: New Delhi, India

Programme/Department:

Department of Health Systems and Life Course

Objective of the WHO Programme/Department:

The overall goal of the Health Systems Development department is to strengthen health systems in ways that will advance universal health coverage (UHC) and therefore progress towards the health Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs 2030) in the eleven SEAR Member States, with an increased focus on reaching vulnerable populations, through the following strategic directions:

1. Building back health systems in the context of COVID based on a strong primary health care foundation for resilience and rapid progress towards UHC.
2. Strengthening primary health care systems and services as well as adapting primary health care services to changing needs, backed up by appropriate care at the secondary and tertiary levels, with attention to safety, quality and equity - including gender;
3. Systematically addressing social, economic, environmental and commercial determinants of health through evidence-informed public policies and actions across all sectors;
4. Empowering people, families, and communities to take control of their health, as advocates for policies that promote and protect health, as co-developers of health and social services through social and community participation, and as self-carers and care-givers to others; and
5. Ensuring people’s main health problems are addressed through comprehensive promotive, protective, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care throughout the life course, strategically prioritizing key services aimed at the population (e.g., public health functions) and personal services (e.g., primary care) as the central elements of integrated service delivery across all levels of care.

Terms of reference:

Under the overall guidance of Director, Department of UHC/Health Systems and Life Course and under the direct supervision of Technical Officer – Primary Health Care (RA-PHC), the JPP will support the PHC lead on:

1. Technical work: Contextualization of global products to Regional PHC needs; development and advancement of a regional PHC strategy; and, coordination across health systems areas and programmes for a comprehensive approach to PHC.
2. Country work: Documentation of experiences on PHC in countries of SEAR.
3. Capacity assistance: Particularly on the application of tools in priority areas of PHC e.g. assessment of disruption of essential health services.
4. Sharing knowledge and experience: Particularly assistance with meetings and webinars including preparation of background documents and reports.
5. Any other task assigned as and when required.

Education:

Essential: Medical doctor (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)

Desirable: Advanced degree in public health/health financing/ social sciences/economics

Experience

Minimum: At least two years of experience in primary health care setting at national level

Desirable: At least one year of work experience at international level in public health / primary health care setting

Age: Below 35 years

Skills required for the assignment:

Minimum:

• Proficiency in spoken and written English;
• Excellent computer skills;
• Strong analytical and research skills;

WHO competencies required for the assignment:

1. Teamwork
2. Communication
3. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
4. Producing results
5. Ensuring the effective use of resources

Remuneration: USD 48,805 per annum

Additional Information:

• Please note applications should be submitted through WHO's online recruitment portal. Please visit www.who.int/careers to complete an online profile and to apply to this vacancy.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test / Interview 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.
• The purpose of this vacancy notice is to invite qualified national professionals from member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand or Timor-Leste
• 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.