Public Health Officer - DCD

Contract

This is a UNV National Expert contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Expert contracts.

The World Health Organization works with its Member States to (1) achieve universal coverage, (2) protect people from emergencies and (3) make sure that people enjoy better health and wellbeing. The Regional office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) supports its 22 Member States towards this objective. The department of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Communicable Diseases (DCD) works towards implementation of a UHC approach to the control, elimination or eradication of communicable diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, STIs, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and vaccine preventable diseases. It also includes two cross cutting technical units working on antimicrobial resistance and on public health laboratory services. The United Nations Volunteers would work in the Director’s office to provide support to the scientific work, with a focus of coordinating and integrating the contribution of the different technical units into a consistent vision. While some of the tasks are ancillary in nature, they would provide exposure to WHO policy issue in contest where the feedback from the Director would be an excellent development opportunity.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Dr Yvan Hutin, Director, DCD, or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV, Public Health Officer, will:

• Assist the Director’s office in the triaging and sorting of the various technical requests to the Department as to identify the level of priority and seniority needed to handle them. • Prepare communications from the Director’s office to the technical units as to facilitate transmission of technical requests to the team in a way that facilitates the work of the technical unit and adds value. • Consolidate input from the technical unit to the Director’s office as to integrate into a framework consistent with DCD vision. • Draft communication from the Directors’ office, including emails, concept notes, and slide presentations under the guidance of the director. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Results/expected outputs:

• As an active EMRO/DCD team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to WHO/EMRO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: 1. achieving universal coverage, 2. protecting people from emergencies 3. making sure that people enjoy better health and wellbeing.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to WHO; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to WHO procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and WHO in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards WHO’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

medicine, veterinary sciences or pharmacy

The duty station will be Cairo, which is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. Cairo (and Egypt) has long been a centre of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centres, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc. The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley. The country is defined by desert and the Nile, the longest river on Earth. Egypt is bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. With over 90 million inhabitants, two-thirds of which are below 30 years, Egypt is Africa's third most populous country after Nigeria and Ethiopia and has the highest population in the Arab world's most densely populated areas, especially in greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta. The country has witnessed significant political and economic changes since 2011. Through this transition, which includes periods of political unrest, the main income sources of the economy have been negatively impacted, particularly in the tourism sector, as well as revenues from the Suez Canal, oil and remittances from Egyptians working abroad, affected by the global economy. However, with the current political stability, tourism is getting improved, and touristic activities are going back to normal. UN staffs are not directly targeted in Egypt and for the most are vulnerable to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is recommended to keep dwell time in the immediate vicinity of military, police and other promi-nent official installations to the minimum.