Communication Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The mission of WHO in the area of transplantation is to meet the requirement of the fifty-seventh World health Assembly resolution WHA57.18.. Objectives can be summarized as follows: To work with Member states and to provide assistance at their request to ensure effective national oversight of allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation activities. This would ensure accountability, traceability, and appropriate surveillance of adverse events (in particular transmission of infectious agents of xenogeneic origin); To increase access of citizens to safe and effective transplantation of cell, tissue and organ. Additionally, to ensure ethical and technical practices of the procurement of human material for transplantation to the follow-up of recipients and live donors; To promote international cooperation to encourage the global harmonization of technical and ethical practices in transplantation. This would include the prevention of the exploitation of the disadvantaged through transplant tourism and the sale of human material for transplantation. To encourage donation of human material for transplantation. The "Clinical Procedures" unit in the Department of Essential Health Technologies is responsible for promoting the appropriate effective and safe use of cell, tissue and organ transplantation. This includes the surveillance of risks particularly in xenotransplantation. This department is also responsible for ensuring efficacy, safety and equity in the provision of clinical procedures in surgery, anaesthetics, obstetrics and orthopaedics particularly at the district hospital level.

Context

In the context of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) and its triple-billion strategy, the incumbent will support communications activities at the country level. Key deliverables include: accurate and timely production and dissemination of high quality public information products which highlight WHO and partners work on the ground; promoting achievements and results of key public health initiatives and building contacts with the press/media and key partners and optimizing networking opportunities. The incumbent will work with colleagues in the country office to ensure WHO’s work and health issues gain visibility among partners, the general public, the media and other key stakeholders.

Task description

1. Identify subjects of interest to develop and improve media/communication activities at the country level and develop a communications plan for the country office, which works in synergy with the global and regional communications strategies. 2. Produce public information materials such as press releases and media advisories on WHO events, products and issues for dissemination to the print, electronic and online media, as well as media talking points for country spokespeople. 3. Build relations with the national media and ensure that WHO issues, and work are regularly profiled by the national media. 4. Take photographs of key WHO events, activities as well as of key health programmes for use on the country and regional websites as photo stories, as well as on social media. 5. Monitor media coverage of WHO issues, programmes and people in the country and provide regular reports to the Regional Office. 6. Organize photographic shoots and interviews and filming opportunities to support high-visibility of WHO achievements through television, radio and newspapers, etc. 7. Manage the social media accounts of the country office in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure con-sistency of approach. Regularly update content on these platforms 8. Manage the development and maintenance of the country website, in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure consistency of approach. Regularly update content on the website. 9. Support the monitoring of mis-disinformation circulating on social media and local media. 10. Research and write feature stories and messages, ideally bringing in a human element from real life experiences 11. Work with external relations officer in the country office (if there is one) or in the regional office to prepare communication and advocacy products and statements to be used by the Resource Mobilization team in convincing and encouraging donors to rapidly fund the overall health sector response. 12. Collaborate with all relevant actors, including the health cluster, regional and field offices, other WHO departments, UN agencies, and other partners to identify and create communication opportunities and prepare communication campaigns on specific topics.