Digital Health Expert

Volunteering Medical & Health IT & Telecom

Overview

Support the Ministry of Health and UNICEF in digital health initiatives implementation.

You have:

• Excellent communicator with strong writing and presentation skills.
• Experience in digital health, including system deployment and project management.
• Prior work with Ministry of Health and development partners.
• Familiarity with digital public goods such as DHIS2, OpenLMIS, iHRIS.
• Skills in enterprise architecture, interoperability, user-centered design.
• Proven record in training, digital health proposal writing, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Contract

This is a UNV International Expert contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Expert contracts.

The Government of Zambia has prioritized Primary Health Care (PHC) and Community Health as pillars toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). While Zambia has made advances in digital health, the landscape remains fragmented with multiple donor-driven pilots and limited interoperability. UNICEF Zambia, in partnership with GAVI, Global Fund, and Mastercard Foundation, is supporting large-scale digital health interventions such as OpenLMIS (Logistics Management Information System), HealthConnekt, Digital Health Impact Accelerator (DHIA), and Community Health Information Platform (CHiP). To ensure effective implementation and sustainability, UNICEF seeks to deploy an International UNV Digital Health Expert to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) and UNICEF in the coordination, execution, and monitoring of digital health initiatives aligned with national strategies.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Health, UNICEF Zambia, the Digital Health Expert will provide comprehensive technical and programmatic support to strengthen the digital health ecosystem in Zambia. The incumbent will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. Technical and Programmatic Implementation o Provide technical guidance and project management support for the national deployment of OpenLMIS for vaccine logistics, ensuring integration with existing systems and alignment with MoH digital architecture. o Lead implementation of the Digital Health Impact Accelerator, coordinating with WHO and the Global Fund, overseeing research protocols, procurement of equipment, and quality assurance of internet connectivity solutions in health facilities. o Support the scale-up of the Community Health Information Platform (CHiP), including rollout planning, device configuration, field training, monitoring visits, and partner coordination with the Mastercard Foundation, PATH, and ArguSoft. o Serve as the national focal point for UNICEF and Africa CDC’s HealthConnekt initiative, coordinating across government stakeholders to align on strategic timelines, implement internet connectivity infrastructure, and disseminate technical outputs.

2. Policy Development and Strategic Planning o Provide inputs to strengthen national digital health strategy, including health system bottleneck assessments, digital architecture review, scale-up planning, and investment case development. o Collaborate with UNICEF health programme staff to integrate digital innovations into annual work plans and program strategies, ensuring alignment with the Ministry of Health and UNICEF priorities. o Lead or contribute to the formulation of national standards and operational guidelines for digital health initiatives.

3. Partnerships and Coordination o Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Government counterparts, including the Ministry of Health ICT Directorate, SMART Zambia Institute, Zambia Information and Communications Technology (ZICTA), and the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU). o Engage with a wide network of local solution providers, innovators, academia, NGOs, and private sector actors to promote and pilot digital solutions and build local capacity. o Identify resource mobilization opportunities and lead the development of proposals and concept notes to secure funding for priority digital health initiatives.

4. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing o Support implementation of the Digital Health Planning National Systems Course for Ministry of Health staff at national and sub-national levels, including coordination, participant onboarding, and follow-up. o Facilitate training sessions and workshops on digital platforms for MoH, UNICEF staff, and implementing partners, tailored to various levels of digital literacy. o Document and disseminate best practices, lessons learned, and innovations through briefs, presentations, and participation in national and international conferences, including Zambia's International Digital Health Conference in August 2025.

5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting o Collaborate with UNICEF Programme Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) colleagues to design and implement M&E frameworks for digital health projects. o Ensure timely submission of high-quality technical reports to donors including GAVI, WHO, and the Global Fund. o Monitor progress against key performance indicators, identify implementation challenges, and propose timely solutions to ensure accountability and impact.

• Excellent communicator with strong writing and presentation skills. • Team-oriented, culturally sensitive, and proactive. • Commitment to UNICEF and UNV core values of equity, inclusion, and integrity.

• Experience in digital health, including system deployment and project management • Prior work with Ministry of Health and development partners. • Familiarity with digital public goods such as DHIS2, OpenLMIS, iHRIS. • Enterprise architecture, interoperability, user-centered design. • Strong communication, coordination, and project implementation skills. • Proven record in training, digital health proposal writing, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Zambia is a land-linked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods.

Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural centre of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort.

Lusaka hosts several international organisation and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available.

The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com.

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unv.org