Disease Control and Surveillance Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

 

The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations.

 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

 

1. Oversee the smooth country implementation of global and regional commitments on integrated disease surveillance, HIV/TB, VPD, One Health, IHR and PIP according to WHO guidelines and tools.

2.  Provide advice to national public health authorities and manage the epidemiological work of the country office that underpins policy formulation. Support to relevant teams on building core capacities for surveillance, early detection, verification and rapid response to epidemics and other public health events of international concern, as required in the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.

3.  Facilitate the efficient and effective management, as well as coordination of expertise, to provide technical advice on the development of sustainable, multi-sectoral, and integrated national strategies, policies, interventions, and plans for improvements in disease surveillance and control programme, and capacity building in the area of emerging infectious diseases and other communicable disease prevention and control.

4. Ensure that the WHO Country Office has access to all relevant existing country-specific health-related data. This includes national and subnational datasets, such as demographics of populations affected by specific diseases (relevant age, gender, etc.) and time trends. Analyze such data sets, and as a national of the country, provide additional insights on the country’s health context and epidemiological situation.

5. Coordinate the development of training courses for public health professionals on epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigation, and/or the improvement of related data management.

6. Manage the WHO Country Office’s support to the government in conducting field investigations of public health events, when required by the specific country or health situation.

7.  Facilitate the implementation of projects for the control of the respective emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases, including the procurement of safe, efficacious and affordable medicines and technologies.

8.  Analyze and evaluate a diverse range of data and information related to emerging infectious disease and other communicable disease surveillance and outbreaks; identify disease sources and provide recommendations and reports on the appropriate response to identified risks, and the implementation of preventative and control measures.

9.  Monitor the national burden of emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases or factors, especially through health information systems and health research activities. Coordinate the development or enhancement of existing information systems on communicable diseases and the monitoring of progress towards SDGs.

10.  Leverage knowledge of local systems and cultural norms to serve as technical communication focal point with the public on emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases in the country; and establish new community outreach activities concerning the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases (HIV, TB and others).

11.  Advocate, build and strengthen partnerships and networks to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration to address integrated, emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases prevention and control, and contribute to resource mobilization for the work programme.

12. Prepare progress reports, briefings, proposals, communications and advocacy documents required for strategic decision-making.

13. Collaborate with Health Emergency teams to promote WHO’s position and successfully influence national health authorities to develop infection prevention and control programmes in health care facilities, including (where and when required) focusing on preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics.

14. Represent WHO in designated forums and functions as a technical focal point for emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases control and surveillance programme areas.

 

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

 

 

 

Education

 

Essential: First level university degree in medicine, public health, health policy, epidemiology, health systems management or another relevant field.
Desirable: Master’s degree in public health or health management and postgraduate qualification (s) in the areas of emerging infectious diseases and other communicable diseases.
-Training or specialization in emerging infectious diseases and other communicable disease prevention and control.

 

Experience

 

Essential: • A minimum of five years of work experience relevant to the position in communicable diseases, focusing on disease investigation, surveillance, and control, as well as developing strategies and action plans for implementing capacity building and disease prevention programmes.

• Relevant working experience with a governmental institution.

 

 

Desirable:

 

• Demonstrated professional experience providing technical services to national counterparts, Ministries of Health, and other partners on communicable disease related issues. 
• Relevant work experience, with WHO and/or United Nations agencies, health cluster partners, non-governmental or humanitarian organizations. 
• Relevant working experience with international organization serving either (i) resource-limited countries or (ii) middle-income countries. 

 

 

Skills

 

·         Knowledge of transmissions, specialized methods of diagnosis, development, and treatment of emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases, including HIV and TB infection, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and other communicable diseases.

 

·         Technical and programmatic knowledge of the prevention and control of a range of communicable diseases.

 

·         Expertise to strategically plan, coordinate, and support the implementation of health programme interventions.

 

·         Knowledge of country situation in emerging infectious disease and other communicable diseases.

 

·         Best practices of international organizations’ in the related disease control areas, primarily WHO’s policies, practices, guidelines and procedures, and ability to apply them in the country office setting.

 

·         Demonstrate ability to innovate, provide clear advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners.

 

·         Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

 

·         Skills in developing and promoting collaborative multi-sectoral partnerships and mobilizing resources.

 

·         Ability to integrate, synthesize, and communicate health-policy concepts and ideas in the areas of communicable diseases.

 

·         Excellent oral and written communication, including for reports, presentations and technical documents.

 

 

 

 

 

WHO Competencies

 

1) Teamwork

 

2) Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

 

3) Communication

 

4) Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond

 

5) Moving forward in a changing environment

 

 

 

Use of Language Skills

 

Essential: Excellent Knowledge of English and Arabic.

 

Other Skills (e.g. IT)

Proficiency in computers and office software packages, handling of web-based management

systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Cloud Management Enterprise

System such as Workday.

 

 

 

REMUNERATION

 

WHO offers staff in the General Services category an attractive remuneration package, which for the above position includes an annual net base salary starting at USD 87,819 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level. 
• Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply on-line through Stellis. For assessment of your application, please ensure that: 
  1 -Your profile on Stellis is properly completed and updated.
  2- All required details regarding your qualifications, education, training and experience are provided under relevant sections.
  3- Your experience records are properly entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time.
   
• Enhanced WHO Global Competency Model:
  https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/enhanced-who-global-competency-model 

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. 

• A written test may be used as a form of screening. 

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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. 

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. 

• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int. 

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity. 

• 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. 

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco. 

• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.