National Consultant - Healthy Cities Initiative (Namibian Nationals Only)

FINAL TERMS OF REFERENCE

National Consultant - Healthy Cities Initiative (Namibian Nationals Only)

1. Background Over 55% of the world's population live in urban areas - a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. This trend calls for strengthened support to address health at the urban level. The World Bank reported Namibian urban population in 2021 to be 1,341,107 million. While urbanization offers many opportunities for employment and access to better public services, the rapid and unplanned growth also poses major health risks. In urban settings, determinants of health are linked to social, demographic, economic and geographic factors that create complex vulnerabilities that affect health risk exposure, health behaviors, access to health care, and health status. WHO recognizes cities as key operational partners to addressing health determinants and response to public health needs and essential services to the people, particularly the vulnerable groups.

WHO Healthy city initiative is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential. Healthy city network and urban governance for health and wellbeing are strategic actions to synergize both approaches for multisectoral actions addressing health determinants and promote inclusive and equitable cites. Urban governance for health and wellbeing, one of the key domains of healthy city, is a systematic approach to tackle root causes of unhealthy conditions, fostering multisectoral actions, meaningful people participation and leaving no one behind. There is a need to advocate amongst policy makers to consider having an approach in the next generation of urban development planning for sustainable health and well-being. As this initiative also requires meaningful people participation, awareness for whole of society approach and addressing needs of diverse groups of populations is required.

Emergency Preparedness COVID-19 has highlighted the need for cities and urban settings to be better prepared to respond to future health emergencies. The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) require member states to strengthen their capacity for detection, assessment of, and response to, disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies at national, subnational (e.g., regional) and local (e.g., city) levels. Cities and urban settings are increasingly at the forefront of effectively operationalizing many of these requirements. In this pandemic, congested spaces due to high population densities and their role as travel hubs with extensive connections, has led to rapid importation and exponential growth of cases. Furthermore, implementation of public health and social measures has been challenging in places such as informal settlements. However, cities have also been centers of innovation and opportunity, showcasing novel approaches including leveraging the untapped capacities of communities and the private sector. Cities and urban settings are crucial to preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from health emergencies, and therefore enhancing the focus on urban settings is necessary for countries pursuing improved overall health security.

Urban areas, especially cities, have unique vulnerabilities that need to be addressed and accounted for in health emergency preparedness. An unprepared urban setting is more vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of health emergencies, and can exacerbate spread of diseases, whilst they are also very often the frontline for response efforts. This has been seen in past outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is therefore crucial that health emergency preparedness in urban settings is addressed through policy development, capacity building, and concrete activities, undertaken at the national, subnational and city levels. 2. Deliverables 1. Scope of work Working closely with the Health Promotion and Social Determinants Officer, the consultant is expected to perform the following functions: • Identify at least 4 town councils including the City of Windhoek where the implementation of the Healthy Cities Initiative would be introduced and strengthened • Analyze the strengths, weakness, and limitations of the healthy cities' initiatives in these towns • Guide and initiate the drafting of the Health Profile in the selected cities • Work with the Local Authority Association and Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for an Introductory training on healthy cities (comprehensive approach to healthy settings) following the drafting of Health Profiles in at least 4 selected cities. • Review any existing urban or city's development plan aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). • Map any existing initiatives such as child friendly cities, age friendly cities, smoke free cities or similar initiatives and to build on these. • Review emergency preparedness and response plans of the 4 selected cities and help align to the National Health Security Plan.

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following deliverables: 1. Inception report that includes an overall approach, conceptual framework to carrying out the expected tasks; these include the identification of town councils, exiting urban development plans, existing initiatives in cities, weakness and strength and limitations of these and availability of cities emergency preparedness plans - 5 June 2023 2. Identify possible 4 town councils including the City of Windhoek where the implementation of the Healthy Cities would be strengthened - 16 June 2023 3. Draft a guide for the development of health profiles and support the selected town councils in drafting their health profiles - 16 July 2023 4. Support the establishment and strengthening of multi-stakeholder partnerships and coordination at local level for the Healthy Cities Initiative. - 7 August 5. Develop training content for an introduction to healthy cities and facilitate the training with the Association of Local Authorities and Ministry of Urban and Rural Development. - 25 August 2023 6. Assess the emergency preparedness of the selected cities, conduct risk assessments, and align their emergency preparedness plans with the National Health Security Plan - 8 September 7. Submit final report on progress against expected deliverables with copies of all documents produced during the consultancy - 30 September 2023

3. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages Identify the educational qualifications and expertise needed for the terms of reference outlined above.

Educational Qualifications Essential * A minimum of a Master's degree in public health or related health programme

Experience • Proven expertise in developing health profiles or health information analysis or urban health matrix • Minimum 5 years' experience in, and understanding of Healthy Cities Initiative and determinants of health • Experience working with Government Ministries and local authorities, ideally in health promotion will be an advantage. • Experience in conducting stakeholder consultations and engagements.

Skills/Knowledge * Good knowledge and experience of the Namibian Health System

Languages and level required * Very good command of written and spoken English. * Very good presentation and report writing skills. 4. Technical Supervision Indicate the name and title of the supervisor with email address. Mrs. Celia Kaunatjike, Health Promotion and Social Determinants Officer, [email protected] 5. Location Please specify where the consultant will work: On site: _WHO Namibia Country Office

On site for insurance purposes : Windhoek, Namibia (This is where a duty travel is planned during the course of the consultancy but the consultant is being hired to work from home) 6. Travel - If travel is involved, full medical clearance is required Please specify any expected travel(s): dates, location and purpose.

* 5-16 June travelling to consult at least 4 town councils to introduce and strengthen the implementation of the Healthy Cities Initiative. - location still to be determined, however it will be local travel.

A living expense is payable to on-site consultants 7. Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded) Rate: 266,979.24 over a period of 4 months

Currency: NAD

The payment will be made in three instalments as follows: • 20% upon submission of the Inception Report; • 30% upon submission of the Guide for the developing Health Profiles and draft profiles at the 4 selected cities; • 30% upon submission of the training content on Healthy Cities and training report; • 20% upon approval of the final report against deliverables and documents developed during the consultancy.

Work schedule (if applicable 1 June - 30 September 2023)