Consultant - Reaching the Unreached (RTU)

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Purpose of the Consultancy

All Member States of the Western Pacific Region endorsed the Regional Framework for Reaching the Unreached in the Western Pacific Region (2022-2030) during the Seventy-third session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RCM73) held in 2022. Reaching the unreached (RTU) is a thematic priority of the For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region vision document of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. This Framework aims to transform the delivery of essential healthcare services and the public health system to reach the most vulnerable, marginalised, and stigmatised populations. This consultancy will provide technical support in the implementation of the RTU Framework.

Background

RTU is a global and regional health policy priority in line with health-related SDGs by 2030 and is built on the principle of universality and aims to ensure that no one is left behind. In the Western Pacific Region, RTU is one of the four thematic priorities of the Region as stated in its vision paper For the Future: Towards the Healthiest and Safest Region.

The Region has seen remarkable progress on important global and regional targets for HIV, TB, malaria, neglected tropical disease, polio, hepatitis B and measles. Maternal mortality ratios and infant mortality rates have reduced in the last decades. However, using “the last mile approach” to end and eliminate many diseases is challenging while some ‘old’ diseases are resurging. Health systems continue to miss significant numbers of people with communicable and non-communicable disease conditions in all countries – and not only in countries with weak health systems. In addition, inequalities in the social determinants of health, viz., income, education level, gender, ethnicity, and geographic location, cause inequitable access and health outcomes among different population groups across the Region. In recognising that progress has not equally benefited all population groups in the Region, countries are now striving to achieve the ambitious global universal health care (UHC) targets and complete the business of preventing and eliminating morbidity, mortality and disability caused by communicable diseases and conditions by 2030 and reduce by one-third of the premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

Countries must adopt an integrated systems approach to reach the unreached. In addition, they need to understand and address political, social, cultural, and economic determinants of health. Such steps are essential to characterise and understand the causes and drivers of ‘being the unreached’ and design high-impact interventions to reach the unreached. Such measures would require partnerships with the community, other sectors, non-state actors and the private sector. Integrating the successful elements of disease-specific programs into existing health systems and strengthening health and community systems to reach unreached populations for various programs will be essential.

Work to be performed:

Specific terms of reference include:

1. Support coordination for the RTU regional framework

• Support the RTU task force team for the implementation of the RTU Framework in coordination and collaboration with other regional platforms and mechanisms
• Draft an operational guide and relevant tools to advocate and enable the implementation of the RTU Framework in the countries of the Region
• Support the meetings of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Reaching the Unreached

2. Facilitate the implementation of the Reaching the Unreached activities at the country level

• Facilitate and support country-level implementation in collaboration with other Divisions of WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, WHO country offices, ministries of health, WHO Collaborating Centres, and other concerned technical partners
• Provide support in drafting and reviewing national plans for implementing the RTU Framework at the country level
• Support the designing of the RTU Dashboard of WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and its promotion to all concerned partners, including the Member States

• Advocate, convene, and enable the Member States to implement social, technological, and service innovations for reaching the unreached

  3. ****Support evidence generation and lessons identified from country-level implementations

• Facilitate “grounds up” evidence generation and dissemination from RTU interventions across the Region

• Draft and publish relevant reports to inform the Member States about the progress of RTU implementation
• Support the preparation of donor reports and interim reports of the RTU frameworks

Method(s) to carry out the activity:

• Conduct regular meetings with different stakeholders
• Prepare the background and critical documents and compile relevant data and information
• Work with different stakeholders to organise field testing and capacity building in countries
• Produce high-quality reports
• Perform other related work as required

Output/s

• Deliverable 1.1: Interim report on planned activities
• Deliverable 1.2: Contributions to donor reports and other deliverables as stated above
• Deliverable 1.3: Final reports and tools

Planned timelines

10 April to 10 September 2023

Specific requirements

Qualifications required:

• University degree from a recognised university (may include medical, anthropology, social science, public health, or epidemiology degrees)

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

• Data collection, compilation and visualisation skills
• Communications and interview skills
• Writing skills

Experience required:

• Minimum ten years of work experience in public health at the national and international level
• Working knowledge of one or more countries in the Western Pacific Region would be an advantage

Language requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of English is essential (Read-Write-Speak).

Competencies:

• Technical Expertise
• Communication
• Moving Forward in a Changing Environment
• Producing Results

Place of assignment:

• Will be working remotely.

Travel:

• Should travel be required, this will be organised by WPRO.

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. - A written test may be used as a form of screening.

- If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/ diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO 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 through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

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- 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.

- WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.