Technical Officer (Traditional Medicine Research and Evidence)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The World Health Organization (WHO) is dedicated to the health and well-being of all people. Guided by science WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life. Towards this mission, the WHO Universal Health Coverage Life Course division (UHL) supports countries to advance the primary health care (PHC) approach and essential health system capacities for universal health coverage (UHC) with improved health service coverage and financial protection to address inequity and gender inequalities. WHO works with 194 Member States across 6 regions and has offices in 150 locations.

The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (TMC) is a WHO headquarters department in UHL that is outposted to Jamnagar, Gujarat in India. The TMC operates within WHO’s General Programme of Work and the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Strategy and works in close collaboration with the WHO Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative (TCI) Unit, Headquarters technical departments, Regional and Country Offices, other UN agencies, and other partners to support traditional medicine related policies, practice and public use.

There are five main technical workstreams at the WHO/TMC, namely:

1. Traditional Medicine Research and Evidence, which advances TM scientific evidence and strengthens Member States’ capacities to prioritize and conduct robust research;
2. Traditional Medicine, PHC and UHC, which strengthens TM within national health systems, using a data-driven PHC approach towards the realization of UHC;
3. Traditional Medicine Indigenous Knowledges & Biodiversity, which promotes equitable and fair access to benefits of Indigenous Knowledges and sustaining biodiversity;
4. Traditional Medicine Digital Health Applications, which uses digital health applications to facilitate development and access to TM knowledge, goods and services; and,
5. Traditional Medicine Global Summit, which is convened biennially by the TMC and is a platform for all stakeholders of traditional medicine, including policymakers, TM professionals and practitioners, the public, Indigenous Peoples, academics, private sector, civil society, community representatives, and others to exchange knowledge and share best practices.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1. Contribute to the development and implementation of TMC programs for research and evidence to enhance the WHO’s capabilities to provide leadership in research, evidence synthesis and evidence informed policy making, and to enhance research capacity in Member States.
2. Facilitate the development of the global road map for traditional medicine research, including setting global and regional priorities for research in traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine by identifying and prioritizing the research gaps, and ensuring successful implementation of projects undertaken jointly/ collaboratively / or under contract agreements by the TMC.
3. Support the identification of research gaps and facilitate conducting or commissioning appropriate bridging research (including clinical trials and implementation studies) to enable integration of evidence informed traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine interventions in health systems in WHO Member States and to establish and organize the secretariat of WHO Technical Expert Network (TEN) on informed traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine and convene other “time limited” project specific expert groups as required.
4. Provide technical support and coordination for publications of WHO Bulletin special edition on traditional medicine, external publications such as journal articles- based on the projects undertaken by TRE. Undertake the development an overarching, standard literature review search string of terms for traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine including sub-strings for regional and system specific search traditional medicine systems. Maintain and use a reference management database to support TMC publications.
5. Develop plain-language explanations of the key elements of important critical thinking concepts from the Informed Health Choices network to support informed decision making by traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine users.
6. Contribute to TRE work to build capacity for research in traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicine including the development of training modules made accessible through WHO platforms or external collaborations and supporting the areas of work that the other units of TMC undertakes (such as developing Traditional medicine global library, establishing ICD 11 based routing health information systems) with technical inputs related to research and evidence, as required.
7. Provide technical support to Member States around initiatives tied to the mandate of the TMC. Advising on all technical issues related to international collaboration, including partnerships for technical and resource mobilization purposes.
8. Identify opportunities for collaboration in scientific, research and technical information production and knowledge sharing across the Organization, within WHO, with other UN organizations or with other partners; establish and maintain partnerships that promote and support such collaboration
9. Create and provide technical input to a network of Collaborating Centers on research in traditional, indigenous, complementary, and integrative medicines with the objective of identifying, analyzing and promoting good practices and synergies.
10. Monitor TRE work plans and related budgets, including supporting resource mobilization for the work of the programme and follow up on the implementation of planned funded activities.
11. Perform all other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential:

Advanced University Degree (Master’s level or above) in research methodologies qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research, clinical trials, biostatistics, clinical sciences, public health, epidemiology, or traditional, complementary, or integrative medicine research.

Desirable:

A Ph.D degree in the above or related fields.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 7 years of experience, in public health research / clinical trials / mixed research methods.
• Experience in working in cross-organizational collaborations and multi stakeholder partners in research projects.
• Demonstrated experience at international level.
  

Desirable:

• Experience working the WHO /UN organizations or collaborating with the UN is an added advantage.
• Experience with large and multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural projects.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based medicine.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods of research.
• Ability to conduct research and analyze results (including using research data analysis software and reference management software’s), identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations.
• Excellent knowledge of health care systems.
• Knowledge of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines practices, needs, priorities and policies.
• Proven skill and experience in publishing articles in science journals.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with experts and stakeholders from different fields, including policymakers, researchers, civil society, and the private sector.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to promote consensus, communicate progress and results, and resolve issues in a proactive manner while ensuring effective work practices and ethics.
• Proven strong analytical, presentation and report writing skills.
• Ability to review and revise policies, strategies and guidelines of assigned program and activities,
• Interpersonal skills using tact, diplomacy, patience, and courtesy.
• Proven knowledge of technical aspects in the field of specialty.
• Public speaking techniques.
• Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.
• Team spirit and time management skills.

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of another UN language.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 77,326 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 2990 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment 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.

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