Public Health Specialist

Company Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The organization was established on April 7, 1948.

Salary

The salary for this position starts at USD 84,672 per annum, and includes a variable post adjustment of USD 2131 per month, depending on the duty station.

Job Description

To eradicate poliomyelitis due to wild or vaccine-related poliovirus. Complete the interruption of wild poliovirus transmission globally, and more rapidly detect and interrupt any new outbreaks due to wild or vaccine-derived polioviruses.

Description of Duties

• Provide technical guidance for coordination and planning of Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) planning in endemic and outbreak-affected countries as well as SIA activities to reduce vulnerability in countries at high risk of outbreaks.

• Plan and prioritize allocation of vaccine supplies, funding, and human resources based on thorough understanding of risks and poliovirus situation and in close coordination with HQ, countries, and partners.

• Provide effective response to any importation of wild poliovirus or outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in previously polio-free areas through planning, implementation, and coordination with GPEI partners for response to outbreaks in accordance with global guidelines.

• Conduct and administer three-and six-month assessments of status of outbreaks, effectiveness of response, and the likelihood of continuing transmission.

• Monitor progress and identify risks in countries or sub-regions assigned. Identify constraints to polio eradication in priority countries and areas and support the development of plans of action to overcome those constraints.

• Promote activities to enhance Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance, including rapid surveillance assessments, development of action plans to improve surveillance, evaluation of the impact of these plans, and training/orientation of national and sub-national staff.

• Develop guidelines and other tools that provide evidence and advice on the best practice strategies for interrupting poliovirus transmission and conducting AFP surveillance.

• Promote and monitor in-depth analysis of polio priority areas to understand the root causes for continuing poliovirus transmission, the proposed strategies to address the problems, and the progress of the programme in implementing these strategies.

• Identify training needs, evaluate, and document outbreak response activities to ensure that all lessons learned are effectively incorporated into current best practices.

• Develop and manage approaches in assigned countries that can achieve polio eradication while contributing to strengthening routine immunization systems.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Education: University degree in medicine sciences and Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, related science or health discipline.

• Experience: At least seven years of relevant experience combined at the national and international levels in public health including a developing country setting, out of which at least 4 years in disease eradication, immunization, or infectious disease control.

• Desirable: Significant experience with polio eradication programmes and management of large-scale public health programmes involving immunization. Working experience with international organizations and/or nongovernmental organizations.

Benefits

• Good knowledge of public health and epidemiology, with broad practical knowledge of public health, infectious disease surveillance and control, vaccine science, immunization and disease eradication policies and strategies and their application in developing countries.

• Strong ability and experience with analysis of surveillance, immunization monitoring and epidemiologic data.

• Strong technical writing and analytical skills. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with governments, and in field conditions.

Others

• Teamwork
  Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
  Communication
  Ensuring the effective use of resources
  Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
  

• Use of Language Skills

• Essential:
  

  Desirable: Expert knowledge of Arabic.