Consultant – Health and Migration in the context of climate change

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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the technical work of the Health and Migration Programme in WHO headquarters related to improving the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change.

Background

Human migration and displacement have reached unprecedented levels, with an estimated 1 billion people who have migrated or have been forcibly displaced owing to economic, environmental, political, conflict and other forces. By mid-2023, 110 million people were forcibly displaced; 62.5 million people internally displaced, 36.4 million as refugees, and 6.1 million people as asylum seekers. Migration and displacement are key determinants of health and well-being, and people on the move experience poorer health outcomes than the communities who host them, often due to their living and transit conditions.

WHO provides global direction on the technical area of health and migration, in line with Global Action Plan on the Promotion of Health of Refugees and Migrants, GPW13, the SDGs, and other overarching frameworks in achieving significant health status gains for refugee and migrant population.

The following are the five core functions of WHO’s work on health and migration:

1. Provide global leadership, high-level advocacy, and dialogue to raise awareness and political commitments and coordinate and policy development on health and migration.
2. Set norms and standards on health and migration, including co-development of guidance and tools and promoting a research agenda to generate evidence to support decision-making and global guidance for new tools and strategies on health and migration.
3. Monitor trends, strengthen health information systems, and develop an accountability framework and indicators for progress monitoring and reporting on the Global Action Plan implementation.
4. Provide specialized technical assistance, response, and capacity-building support to Member States, WHO technical departments, regional and country offices, and partners to address public health challenges associated with human mobility wherever needed nationally and transnationally.
5. Promote health and migration multilateral, inter-country, inter-regional, and global actions across United Nations systems, including the United Nations Network on Migration (UN Migration Network) and other intergovernmental and nongovernmental mechanisms.

In the first WHO Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement, the effects of climate change on the health of displaced and migrant populations were identified as a key priority requiring urgent investment; however questions are broad and currently undefined. The impact of climate change on these populations is not yet well understood, but it is imperative to consider climate change as a determinant to their health. Climate change is a risk or threat multiplier, exacerbates weaknesses in health systems and widens health inequities. Action is urgently required to improve the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change.

Deliverables

Essential:

• First university degree in medicine, epidemiology, social science, environmental science or related field.
• Advanced university degree in public health or equivalent.

Desirable:

• PhD in public health, epidemiology, or related field.

Experience:

Essential:

• At least 4 years’ relevant experience at global and field level in public health and the development and implementation of health programmes and/or health system strengthening.
• Experience of planning, conducting, and writing up research to peer-reviewed publications.
• Experience working with academic institutions, member states, NGOs and UN agencies and strategy development.
• Experience of working on policy, research, or data either related to migration and health, or migration and climate change.

Desirable:

• At least 2 years’ experience working in developing countries in planning, implementation, training, education, monitoring and evaluation of health activities related to health system and refugees and migrants.
• Experience of analysis of data sets, including assessment of data sources, related to migration and health, or migration and climate change.
• Experience of having planned and conducted focus groups, interviews, roundtables, consultations, or equivalent.

Skills:

Essential:

• Strong report-writing skills (in English).
• Ability to write, synthesize and communicate information in a clear and concise manner.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills combined with the ability to multi-task and produce accurate results under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences.
• Computer literacy.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the field of public health, migration and health and WHO’s stakeholder environment.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of other UN official languages.

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level A – USD 3,955 – 6,980 per month.

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

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

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 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