Rehabilitation Consultant

Background

Globally, the need for rehabilitation is growing. Current health trends are resulting in a growing need for rehabilitation health care. People are living longer with chronic communicable and non-communicable disease, and there is increasing incidence of injuries and survival of people living with the consequences of injuries, as well as ageing populations. These health trends are occurring in African countries, with subsequent increases in rehabilitation needs. However, the provision of rehabilitation care in many African countries is very limited and within ministries of health there has been limited prioritization of rehabilitation. The Africa region has the lowest rehabilitation workforce density and lacks many of the professions needed to provide comprehensive rehabilitative care. These under-developed services combined with health trends are resulting in large unmet need with potential for these needs to increase unless action is taken.

Rehabilitation 2030 was launched in February 2017 and a Call for Action raised with a focus on strengthening health systems to provide rehabilitation. Since then, a number of Africa Member States have taken steps forward to strengthening rehabilitation.Additionally further evidence and guidance has emerged to support the strengthening of rehabilitation in health systems. In 2021 and 2022 the WHO Africa region developed a report on the situation of rehabilitation across the region and identified opportunities for strengthening rehabilitation both within countries and across the region. Recommendations of this report included supporting countries to adopt and implement national rehabilitation strategic plans, providing guidance and leadership to strengthen rehabilitation services using WHO technical products on rehabilitation and integrating rehabilitation services across relevant health and social sectors. Against this background, the WHO Africa region is poised to expand its leadership and support for rehabilitation.

The Violence, Injuries and Disabilities (VID) unit, under the Healthier Populations cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa has limited human resources to fully implement the workplan relating to reinforcing rehabilitation services in the region and responding to country requests for technical support for the development and implementation of National rehabilitation strategic plans. To accelerate the implementation of the VID workplan and strengthen technical capacity in the region by the end of 2023, VID is looking for a consultant with extensive experience in strengthening rehabilitation services in the African Region. The consultant is expected to work closely with other clusters of the WHO Africa Regional Office, country offices and HQ.

Deliverables

The Regional Rehabilitation consultant will provide support to the Violence, injuries, and disabilities unit, specifically to:

1. Support planning for a WHO Africa Regional Meeting on the strengthening of rehabilitation in health systems
2. Support selected countries where national rehabilitation strategic plans are being developed or already completed, to finalize, implement and review progress on the strengthening of rehabilitation in line with their plans.
3. Collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support for the implementation of selected WHO technical products, including the piloting of WHO technical products on rehabilitation in selected countries.
4. Perform any other task in line with strengthening rehabilitation in the region, as requested.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: An advanced university degree in a rehabilitation science, such as rehabilitation medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, or similar.

Desirable: Advanced university degree in public health or a related field.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 7 years of experience in rehabilitation.
• Experience in project management and collaboration;
• Experience working with conducting systematic literature reviews;
• Experience in writing technical documents.

Desirable:

• Experience with WHO or other UN agencies;
• Experience working in low- or middle-income countries on implementation of projects/programmes related to rehabilitation or public health.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Advanced technical knowledge in public health and rehabilitation;
• Excellent skills in evidence synthesis and appraisal;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Languages and level required:

Essential: Expert knowledge of English (reading, writing and speaking).

Desirable: Working knowledge of French is an asset.

Travel

The consultant will work offsite but is expected to undertake missions to countries as needed.

All travel related costs will be covered by WHO.

Remuneration

Monthly rate: 8,500 USD

Duration:

From 01 July 2023 to 30 November 2023.

Additional Information :

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

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• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
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