Roster of Consultants - Scientific Writer

1) Background

The goal of the Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases Cluster is to provide leadership and ensure action in supporting Member States in reducing the impact of communicable and non-communicable diseases, while contributing to achieving universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals (SGDs) in the WHO African Region. The goal of the cluster can be encapsulated as the aim of reducing the burden of disease across the region, with specific reference to the diseases forming the Cluster’s programmes.

The Cluster is responsible for the following technical areas - HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis, including other Sexually Transmitted Infections; Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, including Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases; Non- Communicable diseases; and Vaccine Preventable Diseases. The Cluster provides leadership and vision to the above and related areas of work in the WHO African Region and facilitates planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of services in an integrated approach. The Cluster is responsible for joint actions with the ARD and UHC-LC Clusters to respond to the needs of the population through the integrated delivery of interventions and services for CNDs equitably across the life course, through strengthened health systems, and for response to outbreaks to vaccine-preventable and vector-borne diseases with the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Cluster. The Cluster also develops strategic partnerships, mobilizing capacities in the region in the pursuit of its objectives and contributes to cross-Cluster resource mobilization in order to achieve universal coverage for significant improvement in health outcomes using Primary Health Care as a delivery vehicle. The Director's Office is responsible for developing leading monitoring and evaluating the work of the UHC-UCN Group and coordinating its action with WHO Headquarters, Clusters, and partner agencies and institutions.

In order to increase the visibility of the Regional Office in communicable and non-communicable diseases in the region, key and high-quality policy, strategic, technical and best practices information products need to be developed in the above areas covered by the Cluster and disseminated to various stakeholders. This requires expertise in a number of areas such as technical writing and public health communication.

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide support to current writers/researchers/analysts in sustaining and increasing the visibility of the work of the WHO/AFRO Communicable and non-communicable diseases cluster through the development of high-quality information products, both across the cluster and within the cluster programmes. The consultant will be part of a team of scientific writers who are tasked with developing detailed high-level reports of disease status in the African region, including publications in high-impact journals. This specific contract will be focused on the production of a multi-year disease report for the UCN cluster.

2) Description of duties:

Tasks:

• Support UCN programmes in developing, finalising, and publishing a series of multi-year reports and ongoing projects such as the AMVIRA project, Big Catch up project, Zero Dose project, HPV project, etc. These include but are not limited to the following:
• Review and finalization of multi-year report on specific thematic: Leprosy, Guinea Worm, HAT, CVD and diabetes, Sickle Celle Disease, NCD, HIV, TB, Malaria, Hepatitis (and STIs), HTH, zero-dose children, yellow fever vaccination, Malaria vaccination, measles, mumps, rubella vaccination, neonatal tetanus as well as reports on development of new vaccines in Africa (e.g., meningitis, malaria, COVID-19) in Africa.
• Coordinate the development of a compendium of success stories in communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa
• Support the development of a bulletin on communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa
• Support the development of scientific articles derived from the above reports.
• Outline/provide an advocacy document that can be produced for partner engagement from this report.
• Training materials, policy briefs, and advocacy documents tailored to diverse audiences, such as government officials, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders.
• Regular contributions to the UCN Cluster knowledge repository, including summaries of key findings, literature reviews, and annotated bibliographies

Deliverables

• Multi-year report on specific diseases produced and disseminated
• · Compendium of success stories in communicable and non-communicable diseases produced
• · Bulletin on communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa produced in close collaboration with the communication team
• · Scientific articles prepared and submitted to high impact journals
• · Advocacy document that can be produced for partner engagement.

Timelines:

· Given the complexity and diversity of reports to be produced and the time constraints, a detailed workplan will be produced and specific reports to be produced within a given timeline will be agreed upon right from the start of the consultancy.

3******) Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Education (Qualifications)

Essential:

· First or advanced university degree in public health, medicine, international relations, the social sciences, or the humanities required.

Experience

Essential:

· At least five to seven years of experience in public health, communications, and international relations. Extensive writing and communications experience.

Skills

· Excellent writing skills in English in a variety of styles; ability to develop messaging and positioning for an international organization; demonstrated networking skills, excellent interpersonal skills, ability to multitask, ability to prioritize competing priorities; thorough understanding of public health and international development issues, and the ability to quickly understand, process and communicate about new public health information; ability to write in a variety of styles; a track record of academic publications in peer-reviewed journals; proven ability to plan, execute, collaborate and work independently.

4) Languages and level required

Essential:

· Excellent knowledge of English or French or Portuguese.

Desirable:

· Intermediate knowledge of an additional UN official language.

5******) Location

Multiple locations within the WHO African Region.

6) Remuneration and budget

Band level B: USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.

7) Duration of contract:

The contract duration is dependent on the services required and the individual tasks. It can range from 3 to 11 months.

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

· WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.