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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

To define the risk level for countries endemic for yellow fever using standardized methodologies.

Background

To respond to the increased risk of large urban yellow fever outbreaks with international spread that could threaten global health security, the comprehensive, multicomponent Global Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy was developed by EYE partners. The EYE Strategy endorses a continuum of preventive activities, ranging from preventive vaccination activities with implementation tiered according to risk, to rapid detection and response to outbreaks. The EYE vaccine delivery working group (VDWG) is one of the four technical working groups of the EYE Strategy that provides technical guidance on vaccination.

Since 2020, a resurgence of yellow fever (YF) outbreaks in Africa has caused concerns about the sustainable elimination of these epidemics. Since late 2020, 15 countries have reported confirmed and probable YF cases, with 30 outbreaks recorded, of which 12 were disruptive. A large-scale investment has been made under the EYE Strategy. Since the Strategy’s inception, mass vaccination campaigns have protected around 264 million African people against yellow fever. This investment risks being jeopardized in 10-15 years unless a targeted policy is operationalized.

This consultancy aims to support yellow fever risk assessment initiatives. The consultant will provide direct assistance to the EYE Strategy secretariat and the EYE Risk Analysis Working Group (EYE-RAWG), helping with national and subnational risk analysis assessments in countries across the African, Eastern Mediterranean, Latin American, and Caribbean regions. They will also develop and adapt tools and resources for these purposes.

The consultant will prepare background documents and outputs for the annual risk assessment for vaccine allocation and support workshops to discuss methodologies for national and subnational risk assessments. Additionally, the consultant will assist with a risk prioritization exercise in urban centers in countries with high to moderate yellow fever risk.

Deliverables

• Output 1: To enhance risk assessment for endemic and epidemic yellow fever in high-risk countries by optimizing data, standards, and sources.
  • Output 1.1.: Identify additional data sources that more accurately reflect the risk of yellow fever.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
  • Output 1.2.: Utilize these identified data sources to update the national and the subnational risk assessment tools.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
• Output 2: To assess sub-national yellow fever risk in African countries.
  • Output 2.1.: Gather subnational data for high-risk yellow fever countries in Africa.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
  • Output 2.2.: Output 2.2.: Evaluate subnational risk using the assessment tool and collected data, in collaboration with country stakeholders and EYE partners.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
  • Output 2.3.: Validate or modify the subnational risk assessment tool based on evaluations from the high-risk countries, in collaboration with country stakeholders and EYE partners.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
• Output 3: To contribute to the work of the EYE-RAWG acting as member of the secretariat.
  • Output 3.1.: Prepare the meeting agenda, slide deck and meeting minutes of the EYE-RAWG.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
  • Output 3.2.: Document the work of the EYE-RAWG in the format of a scientific publication containing, for each one of its major tasks, a list of the related “activities”, “achievements”, “challenges” and “moving forward”.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
• Output 4: To contribute to the work of the yellow fever surveillance.
  • Output 4.1.: Conduct activities related to the data collection, data analysis and data dissemination of yellow fever cases in the African Region.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.
  • Output 4.2.: Produce a bimonthly epidemiological update of yellow fever in the African Region.
    Expected by: end of the consultancy.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university level degree in public health, epidemiology, or similar field.

Desirable:

• A PhD in epidemiology, public health, or other relevant disciplines.

Experience

Essential:

• At least seven years of relevant experience combined at the national and international levels, in the areas of epidemiology, field epidemiology, public health risk analysis, public health needs assessments, health emergencies or health response support.
• Field experience in the African, Eastern Mediterranean, Latin American, or the Caribbean regions.

Desirable:

• Experience in operational research, implementation research, data analysis.
• Experience with the United Nations agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), or a health cluster member organization.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

• Proven ability in managing and analysing public health data sets, including large databank sets.
• Ability to work with governments to implement immunization initiatives.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work as a team with a variety of stakeholders and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft office suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint) and remote working technologies.
• Proficiency in  interactive data visualization software packages, including Tableau and Mocrosoft Power BI.
• Proficiency in geographic information system software, such  ArcGIS®.

Desirable:

• Expertise in risk analysis tools and modelling of communicable diseases.
• Background/familiarity with emergency settings.
• Sound knowledge of yellow fever surveillance.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English
• Expert knowledge of French

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of Spanish or any other UN official language

Location

Off site: Home-based

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded)

Remuneration:

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

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

Not applicable

Expected duration of contract:

Contract duration varies from 1-11 months. Additional contracts may be offered based on programme needs and availability of funds.

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.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html