Health Specialist

Health Specialist (Public Health Emergencies), P-4, (Temporary Appointment for 364 days), UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal

Job no: 575395
Position type: Temporary Appointment
Location: Nepal
Division/Equivalent: Kathmandu(ROSA)
School/Unit: Regional Services Div (SAR), Kathmandu
Department/Office: Reg Serv – Prog Section, Kathmandu
Categories: Health

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For every child, a future

How can you make a difference?

Background:

Prevention, preparedness and response to Public Health Emergencies (PHE) has become a key priority for UNICEF South Asia Regional Office (ROSA). The South Asia Region (SAR) is prone to natural disasters, disease outbreaks and health risks of climate change. While traditionally health emergencies have not been a major public health concern, as of recently, South Asia is at high risk of public health emergencies due to a number of factors, including high population density, rapid urbanization, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, high volume of national and international travels, adverse climate events and resource scarcity, land use change, zoonotic reservoirs, weak fragile public health systems, inadequate water and sanitation systems and persisting health and nutrition vulnerabilities at country-level
In recent years, the South Asia region has been facing an increasing number of health outbreaks. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that the current level of preparedness of countries in the region is not sufficient to effectively respond to severe health emergencies and to sustain essential health services such as this pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on UNICEF efforts to advance its agenda across the region.

Since 2020, the region has had six million more children un/under vaccinated. Four countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal,) have been affected by an outbreak of cholera, not to mention the wild polio virus in circulation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, dengue outbreaks in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and on-going humanitarian and economic crises (in Afghanistan Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) including natural disasters (earthquakes, in Afghanistan, recurrent flooding in India, Nepal and Pakistan which impact negatively the progress to sustainable development. These outbreaks and humanitarian crises are expected, not only to be recurrent but also to be worse in the magnitude in the upcoming years.

Preparedness and the ability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks has become a public health priority. Surveillance and use of early warning mechanisms is essential to adopting a proactive/agile response combining trends and on-the ground evidence to inform adaptive policy making, resource mobilization, and overall strategic response. This increasingly challenging public health context highlights the need for UNICEF ROSA to develop and sustain a core capacity, leverage COVID-19 investments and resources, improve collaboration with expanded partners to strengthen wider pandemic preparedness, and provide the necessary strategic and technical assistance to COs for emergency preparedness and response, and broader response to humanitarian crises.

In view of the emerging and increasing needs within the region and the need for enhanced support at the regional level, it has become crucial for UNICEF ROSA to have a dedicated Health Specialist, Public Health Emergencies position. Under the general supervision of the Regional Health Adviser, UNICEF ROSA is seeking to recruit a P4 Health Specialist/Public Health Emergencies on temporary appointment to provide technical guidance and oversight for preparedness and response to public health emergencies and health in humanitarian crises, including innovative approaches to addressing humanitarian and development nexus.
ROSA support for public health emergencies is in line with its SoPs for early notification and coordination of public health emergencies, country office guidance for response to public health emergencies and priority diseases, and the Core Commitments for Children on public health emergencies and health in emergencies. The support is also in line with the regional strategy focused on preventing, preparing for and responding to cholera.

The position will provide technical, policy and programming support to UNICEF country offices, Ministries of Health and other collaborating partners in the area of public health emergencies and health in emergencies with focus on vaccine preventable diseases outbreaks, cholera response and humanitarian crises.

Priority focus areas include:

• Building and strengthening strategic partnerships and synergies with key partners, particularly WHO, working on health in emergency and public health emergencies, including cholera in order to expand efforts.
• Coordinate the RO response to PHE and health in emergency through a matrix team framework. The Health, Emergency and WASH Sections will put much more emphasis on a matrix approach to ensure that all sections of the regional office, including Health, Emergencies, WASH, Nutrition, Child Protection, Education,
• SBC and Evaluation are contributing to jointly provide timely support to countries to address the needs of mothers and children affected by humanitarian crises and public health emergencies.
• Provide regional oversight and monitoring of ongoing and new public health emergencies/events.
• Provide guidance and technical support to COs on how to leverage and strengthen community platforms for preparedness and response to emergencies, including continuity of essential services and community-based surveillance.

Major duties and responsibilities:

• Maintain internal and external collaborations and partnerships
• Facilitate establishment of strategic partnerships with key regional and global partners working on preparedness and response to health emergencies, humanitarian crises, and monitoring and surveillance, including the IFRC
• Facilitate and maintain highest level of contacts and active collaboration with relevant global and regional partners to coordinate activities to leverage technical and financial resources for health emergencies. This includes active participation in regional health emergency-related working groups’ periodic meetings and participation in the regional cholera platform.
• Provide technical inputs in the drafting of regional and countries project sheets, HNOs (Humanitarian Needs Overview) and SRPs (Strategic Response Plans) in line with the UN transformative agenda.
• Represent UNICEF ROSA in relevant meetings at global, regional and national levels to ensure that UNICEF perspectives are adequately represented in relevant strategies and frameworks related to PHE and health in emergencies.
• Establish and support coordination of the UNICEF ROSA cross sectoral public health emergencies group in response to new and emerging events.
• Support, in collaboration with the Emergency Section, coordination of UNICEF cross sectoral collaboration and exchange platforms (TETs, EMT, etc.)

B. Preparedness and response to public health emergencies in the South Asia region

• Support efforts for the establishment of a regional surveillance observatory,
• Actively seek information and monitor public health events in the region, follow up notification and response with countries, HQ and partners, ensuring that information on the events is updated and shared with relevant parties as needed.
• Create a network of PHE focal points from all countries
• Support UNICEF country offices in the development/updating on health emergency work planning, contingency planning processes with other sectors to ensure cross sectoral response programming and resilience building and other relevant documents as needed.
• Support development and review of health emergencies related resource mobilization proposals and reports, relevant TA and funding applications documents as needed.
• Contribute to the development and dissemination of UNICEF policies, standards and guidelines for Public Health Emergencies (PHE) and Health in emergencies and technical support. This includes development/update of the Regional Office strategy and plan for Emergencies in Health, dissemination of standards, guidance documents and policies on health emergencies, and participation in country missions including joint missions with UN agencies and donors as appropriate to provide on the ground support to countries in emergency situations.
• Conduct country support missions as part of the first line of regional response to public health events and/or in response to TA requests/ joint preparedness and performance monitoring including for accelerated disease control initiatives.

C. Capacity building:

• Provide public health emergency guidance, reports and other information to all country focal points, health managers and chiefs of health as needed.
• Develop the expression of interest for national health specialists/officers, and a PHE consultancy roster and review, assess and recommend candidates for selection as needed.
• Support the development and roll out of a PHE toolkit in priority countries in the region, and a Maternal, newborn and child health package for humanitarian settings.
• Develop/update a package for cholera response capacity building in collaboration with WASH and Social and Behavior Change regional focal points.

D. Knowledge management:

• Lead public health emergencies risk analysis in selected countries in collaboration with country health teams and use the findings to develop health sector emergency preparedness and response plans with subnational level analysis and outputs, as needed.
• Provide technical support to UNICEF SAR country offices and partners including contributing to the development/adaptation of or sharing relevant standards, protocols, guidelines and training materials for public health and health in humanitarian crises.
• In collaboration with WASH and Social and Behavior Change sections, conduct a regional stock take and review of UNICEF SA Cholera Strategic Framework and update as necessary.
• Lead a stock take and review or development of the UNICEF SA SOPs on early reporting and country office response to public health emergencies informed by country office and regional PHE work.
• Lead the review of primary health services for hard-to-reach communities, IDP and refugees
• Lead the development and roll out of a case series on health in conflict and humanitarian situations in selected SA countries with focus on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
• Ensure that the most up to date technical information is collated in an accessible format and platform for country and regional level reference.
• Lead the development of periodic technical reports on health emergencies and public health emergencies, including a monthly summary of ongoing and emerging public health events, their impact and implications for UNICEF work, review of technical information on public health emergencies in country office and regional level documents.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts through the development and review of funding appeals, donor reports, advocacy notes, project proposals related to health emergencies.

E. Technical support:

Work with sectors/sections to coordinate technical support to COs as required. This includes active participation in UNICEF’s cholera working team, Emergency Technical Team and Emergency Management Team
Support Country Offices to develop/update and implement health emergency preparedness and response plans.
Support monitoring of vaccine roll out in humanitarian settings, identifying bottlenecks and collaborate with the regional immunization team to support countries to address them.
Lead the development of technical updates and documents for use by SAR countries with respect to implementation of health programmes in humanitarian situations including using integrated approaches and existing emergency mechanisms.
Support UNICEF COs to respond to specific disease outbreaks. This includes integration of high-quality health response in overall emergency response, and support COs to design responses that contribute to health systems strengthening.
Develop a database and dashboard to monitor ongoing outbreaks
In collaboration with supply division, provide technical advice and other support to ensure that sufficient medicines and health-related supplies are available for country needs in health emergencies and broader humanitarian situations
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Advanced university degree in public health, Medicine or other related health discipline.

Experience:

• Eight years of progressively responsible experience in public health, with field experience in responding to health emergencies.
• Experience in coordination & partnerships, risk assessments, planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of public health emergency programs relevant to communicable disease control.
• Expertise in viral haemorrhagic diseases; vaccine preventable diseases; epidemiology & surveillance; International Health Regulations including JEEs/country core capacity assessments.
• Experience with UNICEF and other agencies/NGOs in emergency settings agency, and/or INGOs.
• Country work experience, especially in the region, with work experience in a decentralized health systems is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Remark: Nationals of the country are eligible provided they have at least two (2) years of international work experience: gained through assignments with other offices outside the country of nationality of at least 1 year duration.
For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: Sep 12 2024 Nepal Standard Time

Application close: Sep 19 2024 Nepal Standard Time