RITD/RINS - Senior Communication Specialist

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UNECA - Economic Commission for Africa

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Thursday 28 Oct 2021 at 23:59 UTC

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Result of Service Successful implementation and management of communication strategy for the AfCFTA-anchored Pharma Initiative under the guidance of the ECA Project Directors

Work implies frequent interaction with the following: Staff in related organizational units across the institution. Visitors and representatives from Permanent Missions, UN Common System Organizations, etc. Contacts in other international organizations, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, universities, the media, etc.

Work Location Work form home

Expected duration This consultancy will be for a period of 9 (nine) months upon signature of contract.

Duties and Responsibilities Background

The advent of the African Continental Free Area (AfCFTA), its coming into force effectively on 30 May 2019 and entering into an operational phase on 7 July 2019, at an African Union (AU) summit in Niger marks momentous milestone for economic integration of Africa. The AfCFTA brings on board a market of 1.3 Billion people, a gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.5 trillion, across 55 member states of the AU. The AfCTA-anchored African single market changes the economics on the ground and makes the case for significant investment in manufacturing across the continent in particular the health sector as an input to inclusive and sustainable development, promotion of value addition and income generation, job creation to cater for the youth bulge, technological and knowledge spill overs. The Agreement provides an appropriate sectoral approach to advocate for healthcare and wellness sectors, and more specifically the pharmaceutical sector. The healthcare and wellness sector, which is projected to be worth $259 billion by 2030 is said to have a potential to create 16 million jobs. If we single out the pharmaceuticals sub-sector alone, the industry is one of the world's fastest growing. In the past ten years, the market has exploded to US$ 21 Billion, with project estimate of US$60 Billion by the end of 2020.

In its role as the only UN agency mandated to operate at the regional and sub regional levels to harness resources and bring them to bear on Africa's priorities, and in line with its mission to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063; the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), proposes to leverage its three core functions, namely, its convening function, its function as a think tank and its operational function to convene the relevant artners, provide the platform, networks and analysis to leverage opportunities of the AfCFTA in the pharmaceutical sector across the continent. ECA, its various efforts to advance the SDGs and Agenda 2063, has been involved in identifying key leadership commitments, interests and the economic justification for such an engagement. Indeed, in 2018, UNECA commissioned a report titled "Review of Policies and Strategies for the Pharmaceutical Production Sector in Africa: Policy coherence, best practices and future prospective". The policy recommendations emanating from report informed the 2019 Africa Business Forum which was convened on the margins of African Union Summit on 12 February 2019. The Forum's objective was to facilitate and consolidate a regional partnership between private and public sector for the purposes of advancing health outcomes and shape health markets in Africa to spur improved health and wellbeing of its people and economy and free up the fiscal space of the African Governments in light of rising fiscal debts within the region. The Forum culminated with the launch of African Business Coalition for Health (ABCHealth), an African led coalition that mobilizes a core group of private sector champions to advance health outcomes and shape health markets in Africa.

Following the launch of ABCHealth, the ECA convened an AfCFTA Regional Forum for the Horn of Africa on the theme of: "AfCFTA Ratification and Implementation: Breaking Down Geographical, Logistical and Regulatory Barriers to Trade and Investment in the Horn to Boost Industrialization – A Focus on the Pharmaceutical Industry" in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23-24 May 2019.

As part of its mandate to deliver on Agenda 2063, the SDGs and showcasing the operationalization of the AfCFTA by translating ideas into actions and in line with its commitment that private sector and public sector dialogue yields tangible outcomes, the ECA went on to conceptualize an AfCFTA-anchored Pharmaceutical Project and joined forces with its partners AUC, IGAD and select Small Islands States represented by Seychelles to roll it out.

Presently, Africa manufactures less than 2 per cent of the medicines it consumes while it imports about 94 per cent of its needs from outside the continent at an annual cost of $14.5 billion. Worse still, is that several African countries import sub-standard or poor-quality medicines and some of the smaller Africa economies pay premium prices to source their pharmaceuticals owing to their weakened bargaining position with large, well-resourced and dominant international pharmaceutical companies. The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) that was adopted by the AU Assembly back in 2007 observed: "a market size that would ensure sustainability as well as technical and financial viability was considered imperative." Thanks to the AfCFTA, Africa is now in a position to say market size is no longer an issue for pharmaceutical manufacturers to engage in areas such as the local production of generic medicines on the continent or pooled procurement of medicines.

In developing this scalable and sustainable reproductive pharmaceutical framework of action, the AfCFTA Area is a potential game changer. The pilot initiative proposes to focus on localized production, pooled procurement and a harmonized regulatory and quality framework. The initiative, anchored in AfCFTA principles, is expected to contribute to improved and economically sustainable access to safe and affordable medicines through localized manufacturing and pooled procurement. Particular focus will be on select pharmaceutical products for the improvement of reproductive and child health.

Utilizing a "three-strand approach" the Initiative is set up to manage pooled procurement of pharmaceutical products on the continent, facilitate local production and to ensure a sustainable safeguard of quality standards of medicines and products.

The Initiative will be commissioned and piloted in select African countries. The countries include the Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan anchored by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The country selection for this initiative emanated from a recent business forum on the pharmaceutical industry in the Horn of Africa.

IGAD was selected as the anchor regional economic community, in view of its ongoing health initiatives, which complements the proposed pilot project.

Upon completion of the pilot phase and track record has been established., there is already interest in scaling up of the initiative to the continental level.

The decision to focus on maternal and child health-care products was informed by high maternal and infant mortality ratio in Africa as well as huge unmet needs for family planning and other reproductive health commodities The maternal and child health burden remains relatively high in the selected region while across the continent, the challenges relating to maternal and infant mortality persist, particularly in respect of achieving targets of key indicators. In connection to the above, there other existing difficulties such as the lack of preventive immunization measures and vaccines.

The predicted positive impact will be reflected in an increased intra-African trade in pharmaceuticals with a decrease of 25 per cent in imports by year two after implementation of the Initiative, and more affordable medicines with an estimated cost drop of 25 per cent by year three and the creation of the needed fiscal space in an era of rising government debts. The intended macro improvements are complemented by social gains in significant job creation and increases in women's productivity. This health and economic initiative, which maximizes the benefits brought about by the AfCFTA, embodies great opportunities to change lives, reduce poverty and contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development.

I. Overall Objectives

AfCFTA- anchored Pharmaceutical Initiative aims at addressing economic-related challenges facing African member countries relating to high costs of medicines and promote the creation of fiscal space to the African Governments given the emerging trend of rising government debts. The AfCFTA, by virtue of the expanded market opportunities it offers and the potential to create manufacturing hubs, can be a game changer in the fight against life threatening diseases, especially given the continent's high disease burden and concerns of rising governments debts. By pooling countries demand together, the Agreement can facilitate the bringing down of cost of medicines to African consumers and improve wellbeing on Africa people and their economy.

Given the pivotal role investments in health plays as input in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth, the Commission hopes to develop a framework of action to advance health outcomes and shape health markets in Africa. ECA proposes to: (i) Leverage the AfCFTA in facilitating regional pooled procurement of maternal and child health essential medicines and commodities (ii) Facilitation and advocacy from the policy angle local production of maternal and child health essential medicines and commodities (iii) Assurance of quality standards of maternal and child health essential medicines and commodities.

II. Specific Objectives

In this regard, the ECA, African Union Commission (AUC), Seychelles representing select Small Island States and IGAD have joined hands to strengthen economic integration within Africa by showcasing how to operationalize the AfCFTA and AMA through the AfCFTA-anchored Pharmaceutical Initiative. The short-term initiatives under this project will focus on: (i) Increase awareness and understanding of AfCFTA-anchored Pharmaceutical Initiative for AU member States; (ii) Engage key stakeholders in particular Governments, Regional Economic Communities, private sector and civil society to have adequate knowledge of the benefits and challenges of the AfCFTA-anchore Pharmaceutical Initiative; (iii) Establish a strong effective mechanism for communication, advocacy and outreach to reach governments, intergovernmental agencies, the international community, CSOs, private sector, academia and researchers.

III. Duties & Responsibilities

The tasks to be performed by the consultant include:

A. Strategy: - Tracks, researches and analyzes information on assigned topics/issues; gathers information from diverse sources and helps to assess news value and other potential impact, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of information campaigns - In consultation with others, identifies and proposes information opportunities, activities and approaches, taking into account the specificities of the situation/topic and target audience.

B. Content Development: - Develop simple and informative multimedia materials (incl. press releases, media packs and briefings, video clips, social media posts and internal newsletters) to increase awareness amongst specific target audiences; - Use appropriate tools and channels to convey clear, targeted and focused messages for different target audiences; - Handle communications/outreach/advocacy activities around key conferences, seminars, and meetings related to the AfCFTA project, including press briefings/conferences, interviews etc;

C. Media Relations: - Makes available to national, regional and international media, accurate and current information to aid their understanding of the benefits of the AfCFTA and encourage regular dialogue with them; - Liaise with media and handles request for interviews and statements - Conducts media trainings.

D. Social Media: - Develop social media compatible content to share across several ECA social media platforms, incl. Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

All communication activities will be done according to the requirements specified in the Communication and Visibility Requirements for ECA's policies on branding and social media

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: Masters Degree in Economics, Communications or related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in public information, journalism, international relations, public administration or related area. Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is highly desirable.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: careers.un.org