Consultancy: Epidemiologist Support for Cholera, Beirut, Lebanon (6 months)

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, health

UNICEF started to work in Lebanon in 1948 and established its office in 1950. For more than 70 years we’ve been working closely with the Government of Lebanon, other UN agencies, international and local NGOs, universities, and more than 100 partners to meet the needs of disadvantaged children in Lebanon. Responding to life-saving needs and ensuring equal access to quality public services, the impact of our work is felt in every aspect and every sphere of society. To learn more about our work, please refer to: https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/what-we-do

How can you make a difference?

Following a cholera outbreak in Syria on 10 September 2022, the disease quickly spread, with Lebanon reporting its first case of cholera on 6 October 2022 and reaching 29 confirmed cases by 13 October in Akkar and Baalbek governorates. Cholera, a virulent bacterial infection caused by contaminated water or food, can spread quickly in areas with limited access to basic services such as safe water, sanitation, and health care. The disease can kill within just hours due to severe acute watery diarrhea. To date, cumulatively 169 confirmed cases and 5 deaths across north, northeast, and mount Lebanon.

Recent overlapping crises have severely impacted access to health, safe clean drinking water, and sanitation services for both host and refugee populations in Lebanon. As cases are expected to continue to increase, UNICEF in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), NGO partners and led by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), has developed a joint response plan.

UNICEF’s overall objective is to prevent and contain the cholera outbreak, reduce mortality and morbidity through effective preparedness and response at all levels to control the disease, with a comprehensive community-based approach of health, risk communication, and WASH components.

• Support integration of UNICEF Cholera response intervention at the national and peripheral levels based on sectoral evidence, needs and priorities.
• Work in close collaboration with PME and field teams to collect and analyze relevant information
• Support the national authorities to develop and implement preparedness and response plans at national and peripheral levels with close involvement of the local authorities
• Strengthen the coordination among ministries, UN agencies and partners
• Coordination with UN anciencies and partners implementing activities related to WASH, Health and RCCE to ensure alignment and complementarity of efforts

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Education: Advanced university degree (Masters) in Public Health or other relevant disciplines: Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Civil Engineering, Programme Communication, Sanitation Engineering
• Experience: A minimum of 5-7 years of experience preferable with UN and/or NGO
  • Knowledge of public health and one or more other relevant areas (e.g.: WASH, nutrition, epidemiology, behavior change, health promotion, community development, education, etc.)
  • Experience in working in health emergencies, and demonstrated aptitude in integrated coordination and response (experience in CHOLERA / cholera context is an asset)
  • Experience working with government agencies, local authorities, international organizations, NGOs and communities in the field of health, water, sanitation and participatory approaches in health and hygiene promotion.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.