Innovation and Research Consultant

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the application of genomic technologies in various aspects of public health. Genomic tools played a pivotal role in expediting the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines while enhancing our understanding of epidemiology. Governments and organizations increased funding for genomic research, particularly in the context of COVID-19. This surge in funding supported a plethora of genomic research projects, expanded sequencing capacity, and spurred the development of novel genomic technologies in both developed and developing nations. The pandemic also served to elevate genomics to the forefront of public awareness. 

Recognizing the historic significance of genomics for public health and its heightened importance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO’s Science Council of experts designated genomics as the focus of its first report in 2022. The report, titled “Accelerating Access to Genomics for Global Health: Promotion, Implementation, Collaboration, and Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues: A Report of the WHO Science Council”, recognizes the applications of genomics in humans, animals, and agriculture across high-, low-, and middle-income countries, as well as the challenges in implementing genomic technologies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It makes recommendations for WHO and Member States to take actions and expand access to genomic technologies, particularly in LMICs.

To further these objectives and identify priority actions for the implementation of genomic technologies for the health of populations in the Western Pacific Region with a focus on less-resourced settings, WHO will convene an expert meeting aimed at facilitating discussions with both state and non-state stakeholders. Although the Science Council’s report encompasses a wide spectrum of genomic technologies, this meeting will primarily focus on human genomics for medical purposes, and biological and medical Research. Genomic areas outside this scope, such as microbial genomics, agriculture and aquaculture genomics, and other applications (e.g., ancestry and parentage assessment, environmental and ecological sciences, forensic science), will not be included in the meeting’s agenda.
Deliverables:
The work shall be performed virtually and will require regular meetings with the technical unit. The service provider is required to: 

Qualifications, experience, skills and knowledge, and language:
Qualifications required: