Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will support advancement of activities of the multi-partner maternal and newborn health initiatives, i.e., Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) and Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), in Africa.

Background

The Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (MCA) Department at WHO HQ, and the Reproductive and Maternal Health (RMH)/Child and Adolescent Health (CAH) Units of the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WH) AFRO)aligns with the goals and targets related to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health to support the achievement of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work.

Annually, almost 300,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth, around 2 million babies are stillborn, and 2.4 million babies die in the first month of life. The WHO African Region bears a disproportionate burden of this preventable mortality. WHO/MCA, in collaboration with the WHO AFRO/ULC/LC and partner agencies, is committed to improving maternal and newborn survival towards achieving global targets. A number of initiatives are underway to advance maternal and perinatal health and survival. These efforts are even more urgent in the WHO African Region.

Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM), a global initiative to address maternal deaths, and Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), a global initiative to address stillbirth and neonatal deaths, aim to accelerate and track progress in improving maternal, perinatal, and newborn health and wellbeing. ENAP and EPMM joined forces as a multi-partner movement co-chaired by WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA to strengthen the coordination of actions in countries to create synergy and avoid duplication of efforts to guide actions toward achieving the coverage targets and milestones by 2025 as a step towards the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. In this effort:

• All countries are invited to develop Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) acceleration plans 2023-2025 as part of their national RMNCAH strategy and plan.
• Implementation efforts will be led by each country's Ministry of Health (MoH).
• Partners at the national and subnational levels will provide technical support to implement the acceleration plans.
• Regional and global partners will complement national technical support based on country MNH priorities for impact.

There are a number of working groups focused on various areas of work overseen by the ENAP-EPMM Management Team both at global and regional levels. The working groups focus on country implementation (CIG), metrics, advocacy, research and innovation, emergencies, commodities, etc. ENAP-EPMM CIG has been assigned the responsibility of tracking and assisting with implementing MNH Acceleration Plans (EPMM/ENAP) alongside country leaders and partners.

Deliverables

Output 1: Country MNH Plans

1. In consultation with the WHO AFRO, regional EPMM/ENAP CIG leads, WHO MCA including the ENAP-EPMM Secretariat colleagues, identify and liaise with countries for developing MNH Acceleration plans and detailed technical assistance plans (templates available).
2. Ensure timely support to countries in the process of development of the plans.
3. Coordinate reviews and inputs to the country plans.

Output 2: Support country implementation needs

1. Develop, analyse and provide inputs to Country MNH Profiles to support countries to prioritize actions in the fields of maternal and newborn health.
2. Identify gaps in technical assistance and resources from the country plans and reports, and share with the ENAP-EPMM partners for addressing the gaps (mobilize technical assistance & funding).

Output 3: Monitor and Report progress and challenges

• Analyse trends in coverage of MNH Interventions in focus countries using RHIS and ENAP EPMM Measurement Improvement Roadmap tools.
• Share weekly activity updates with WHO AFRO RMH/CAH unit team leads
• Share progress updates from countries at the bi-monthly ENAP-EPMM Country Implementation Group (CIG) meetings
• Develop half-yearly reports on MNH country implementation in the selected AFRO countries.
• Support countries to document EPMM/ENAP good practices.

Output 4: Ensure coordinated actions

• Support coordinated actions between the WHO AFRO, regional CIG leads, WHO MCA including the ENAP-EPMM Secretariat regularly. This will include organizing meetings and/or calls, developing agendas, taking notes, and developing documents for follow up.
• Follow up on the actions from the meetings/calls.
• Liaise with African regional maternal and newborn health partners including WHO, UNFPA, and UNICEF regional advisers, GFF, Midwifery Community, professional associations, Health Data Collaborative, academia, and others.

Output 5: Contribute to global tracking and reporting

• Contribute to the global EPMM/ENAP progress reports.
• Identify and support documentation programmatic and country lessons for dissemination at national, regional and global meetings, webinars, and through reports, peer review publications etc.
• Support convenings and presentations for related meetings, including the EPMM/ENAP Management Team meetings, CIG meetings, etc.
• Support the implementation of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in East and Southern African Countries

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: Advanced university degree (Masters' level) in medicine or public health-related field, from a recognized university.

Experience:

Essential: At least 7 years of experience working in a health-related field at regional or international level with a good understanding of the health systems and maternal and newborn health programme implementation and monitoring.

Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

• Ability to coordinate expert groups
• Ability to conduct data analyses
• Experience working with colleagues and stakeholders from various cultural backgrounds
• Experience living and working in low- and middle-income countries
• Expertise in creating plans and monitoring projects.
• Ability to conceptualize, present and write about health topics.

Languages and required level:

Essential:

Expert knowledge of English or French with working knowledge of the other.

Desirable:

Intermediate knowledge of Portuguese.

Location

On site: WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel, including for taking up assignments and country technical support, when required.

Remuneration and budget

The remuneration will be based on applicable assignment assigned experience as per the consultant payment guidelines according to the monthly rate of band levels B.

• Lower to mid end of band level B - USD 7,000 to 8,500 per month.

A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited.

Expected duration of contract:

Duration: 8 months.

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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• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
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Added 11 days ago - Updated 3 hours ago - Source: who.int