National Individual Consultant (based at the Institute of Public Health, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Risk Communication on Immunization and COVID-19, full-time, November 2020 - Apr

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

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

And we never give up.

For every child, Immunization

On March 5th, 2020 the first two cases of COVID-2019 were identified in Banja Luka. As of October 15th, 2020 BiH had in total 32,224 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The country has taken various measures to slow down the spread of the COVID-2019, including declaring a state of disaster, closing down the schools, service industry and whatever services are not essential, controlling the border entries to the country, banning entries from certain countries and intensifying communication activities in the communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that infectious diseases know no borders. All countries are vulnerable, regardless of income levels or the strength of their health care systems.

The urgent need for a COVID-19 vaccine underscores the crucial role immunization plays in protecting lives and economies. As scientists around the world work to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 and health care capacities are stretched in responding to this pandemic, national routine immunization programmes are more critical than ever before. Governments must use every opportunity to protect people from the many diseases for which vaccines are already available.

In 2018, approximately 527,000 children missed their first dose of measles-containing vaccine in the WHO European Region. One year later in 2019, the measles virus exposed immunity gaps in Europe, infecting over 100,000 people, across all age-groups. Protecting children, adolescents and adults from vaccine-preventable diseases through vaccination is a must for the sustainability of health care systems.

When routine vaccinations are missed, the risk of disease outbreaks increases. MICS data for BiH from 2011-12 showed that the rate of full immunization (which refers to the percentage of children who have received a BCG vaccine and three doses of DPT and the polio vaccine by 12 months of age and the MMR vaccines by 18 months) is at 68% for all children, while it is only 4% for Roma children. Recent data show a decreasing trend in immunization coverage across Bosnia and Herzegovina where MCV1 in 2018 was 68% down from 91.4% in 2012. Considering the current burden on the health care system and interruption of essential health care services which are still being re-established, it can be assumed that immunization coverage has gone down from the levels FBiH had last year at the same time. There is an immediate need to increase communication in the area of immunization and COVID-19 and to ensure that relevant information on immunization is reaching communities.

UNICEF’s COVID-19 response plan focuses on the immediate measures that must be undertaken in priority to ensure preparedness and/or response actions to address the COVID-2019 outbreak in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The response strategy builds on and expands the 2 significant investments which have been made over the past years in supporting national health systems, previous outbreaks or health response, and draw on strong risk communication networks, especially for the most vulnerable communities or those in humanitarian settings. UNICEF is focusing its response on limiting human to human transmission and protecting individuals from exposure through risk communication and community engagement and through preventing and addressing the secondary impact of the outbreak, including the re-establishment of essential health services such as immunization.

How can you make a difference?

The Risk Communication on Immunization and COVID-19 Consultant will work closely with the UNICEF Communications, C4D and Health teams, under the leadership of the Institute of Public Health of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on coordination of communication and messaging in the area of immunization, including media relations and the development of common communication plans, as well as to help social mobilization and advocacy activities related to immunization and COVID-19-related risk communication.

Major tasks to be accomplished:

• Co-ordination of communication activities and content on immunization and COVID-19, sharing among different sectors where relevant

• Organizing and facilitating necessary press statements, media events, articles and other media engagements

• Quality check and coordination of messages and content shared with media and public

• Where relevant and needed, supporting cantonal IPHs’ communication needs, in relation to immunization and COVID-19

• Contribute to and support the design, development, pre-testing, production, printing, and dissemination of culturally relevant COVID-19 and Immunization RCCE (Risk Communication and Community Engagement) materials meeting on-ground requirements and quality standards.

• Supporting the FBiH IPH with online/social media promotion and activities, including updating the FBiH IPH website with relevant immunization information

• Support the Immunization App and transfer of the application to FBiH IPH

• Support the development of the online immunization platform led by the Institute of Public Health in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including identifying content interesting to parents and general population that relates to immunization.

• Collaboration with vakcine.ba platform

Estimated duration of contract and Tentative Dates:

November 2020 to 30 April 2021 (5 days per week, full-time, office-based in the Institute of Public Health FBiH)

Paid time off for the duration of the contract is: 1.5 days per one full working month

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

• A university degree in journalism or social sciences
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience relating to the tasks
• Excellent knowledge of the media situation in BiH
• Previous experience in public health related reporting and communication, preferable experience in the area of immunization
• Professional networks and contacts with media outlets and journalists
• Professional networks and contacts with key public health professionals
• Proficiency in media content management
• Excellent written and spoken BCS language skills
• Minimum intermediate written and verbal English language skills

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.

For further details please contact Human Resources at UNICEF Office in Sarajevo, Ms. Marina Kadic, [email protected]

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.