Consultancy: Secondary literature review of risk and vulnerabilities of adolescents and young people’s health and well-being, 5 months, Remote - MENA Regional Office

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

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Consultancy title: Secondary literature review of risk and vulnerabilities of adolescents and young people’s health and well-being

Duration: 5 months (part time)

1 December 2021 – 30 April 2022

Duty Station: Home based/Remote support

How can you make a difference?

Adolescents 10 – 19 years comprise of 17% (77,679) of the total population (463,375) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In 2019, an estimated 50,261 deaths occurred among adolescents (10 to 19 years) corresponding to a mortality rate of 7%. Data on the causes of death from the 2019 WHO “Global Health Estimates”, show that the burden of disease among adolescents in MENA countries has mostly shifted from communicable diseases to injuries and non-communicable diseases (NCD) and health-compromising behaviours and conditions that contribute to them. Aligned with the rest of the world, self-harm is a top cause of death for both boys and girls 15-19 years. Maternal conditions are a major concern among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19. Road injury constitutes the top cause of death, particularly in boys 15-19 years. Collective violence and legal interventions rank as one of the top five causes of deaths, except for adolescent boys aged 10 to 14 years. Overweight and obesity are key concerns for adolescents in the MENA region and much higher than the rest of the world. MENA accounts for a quarter of all Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases globally. On child marriage, MENA is home to nearly 40 million child brides including currently married girls and women who were first married in childhood. With COVID-19, some of the countries have reported a rise in cases of domestic violence and calls to helplines due to prolonged confinement at home during lockdowns and curfews.

Adolescents/young people have specific health care and other needs based on their developmental stage and individual life circumstances. Within the current context, health and other services dedicated to adolescents and young people are not proportional to their population size or their specific needs. Gaps exist between the training, knowledge and skill set of existing health care providers and the needs of the adolescents/young people for whom they provide care. Also, there are large gaps on adolescents’ and young people’s perception of their own health and other needs. Adolescents/young people and their families often do not know where to obtain medical and other services should they need it.

This initiative seeks to conduct secondary literature review of available data on health risks and vulnerabilities of adolescents and young people (15 - 24 years) in the Middle East and North Africa region. The data review will look at the specific issues that relate to adolescents and young people within the diverse country contexts in the region. As an outcome, the data generated through this review would directly contribute to guiding and identifying questions for the focus group discussions (FGDs) and messaging of the regional “Youth-focused digital behaviour change campaign” a joint effort between the regional Health and Nutrition and the Communication for Development (C4D) Section in collaboration with UNAIDS, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, IOM and partners.

The campaign to be initiated in early 2022 is aimed at increasing awareness of a range of different intersecting issues affecting young people (aged 15-24 years) in MENA, including, COVID-19, mental health, reproductive health, HIV stigma and discrimination, Gender Based Violence (GBV), TB, and other adolescent health issues. Through youth-relevant characters, storylines and dialogue, the youth focused behaviour change campaign is expected to influence adolescents and young people’s attitudes and behaviours, including actions such as the uptake of health care and other services.

Scope of Work

• To conduct secondary data review on adolescent and young people’s health risks and behaviours from peer reviewed journals articles, reports and surveys (Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Demographic Health Surveys(DHS), Integrated Bio Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) as well as other targeted surveys) etc.
• To identify key questions for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescents/young people and key stakeholders
• To organize an online consultation involving regional partners to finalize questions for Focus Group Discussions.
• To develop a paper of publishable quality that identifies gap/challenges in health care and other essential services for adolescents and young people.

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

Consultancy Requirements:

• Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, demography, social science, health, economics or health financing or related field for an individual consultant
• Strong research experience and understanding of the standardized surveys on adolescent and young people For e.g. (Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), Integrated Bio Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) survey
• Experience of working in the Middle East and North Africa region
• Strong strategic and analytical skills
• Strong writing skills
• Extensive professional knowledge and experience in adolescent health, with significant technical expertise and experience on the issue of adolescents and young people in the humanitarian context
• English is mandatory, as a working language of the assignment. Arabic language is desirable.

Applicants are also required to indicate availability and financial quotation in USD to undertake the terms of reference above.

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS:

This is a remote/home based consultancy, no travel is required.

Payment Schedule:

PROPOSED PAYMENT SCHEDULE: Monthly

UNICEF will pay a lump sum payment monthly, based on submitted progress reports. Workplan will be discussed and agreed upon with supervisor at the beginning of each month

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Cover letter
2. P-11
3. Financial quote as a lump sum, inclusive of professional fees, travel/administrative/subsistence costs, if applicable
4. Names of three referees

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF 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 at http://www.whed.net/

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