National Consultant - Vision and Hearing Impairments and Promoting Disability Inclusion, Malaysia

Purpose of the consultancy 

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the WHO Representative Office for Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore in the implementation of activities aiming to address vision and hearing impairments, including increasing access to health services and promoting disability inclusion.

Background 

Vision and hearing impairments are significant public health concerns in Malaysia, affecting the quality of life and productivity of those impacted. In addition to strengthening health services to address these sensory impairments, disability inclusion is crucial to ensure that individuals with impairments can participate fully in society.

Vision impairment in Malaysia is a prevalent issue, with an estimated 4 million people experiencing some form of vision loss, including 160,000 who are blind. The primary causes of vision impairment include uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts. Uncorrected refractive errors account for 48% of low vision cases, while cataracts contribute to 36%. Amongst other initiatives, following the global SPECS 2030 initiative, Malaysia has started the MySPECS, which aims to increase effective refractive error coverage.

Hearing impairment is another significant concern, often going unnoticed or untreated. In Malaysia, hearing loss affects individuals of all ages, with a notable impact on children. Approximately 6.6% of children aged 3-12 years old suffer from hearing loss. The consequences of untreated hearing loss include speech and language development delays, social isolation, and poor educational performance. Early intervention and therapy are critical for children with hearing impairment to ensure they develop language abilities, social skills, and academic performance at par with their peer.

While improving access to health services, Malaysia has also made strides in promoting disability inclusion. The Persons with Disabilities Act of 2008 affirms that individuals with disabilities have equal access to public facilities, healthcare services, and recreational activities. Despite these efforts, challenges to health access remain, which the Ministry of Health is addressing through the National Plan of Action for Inclusive Health Care for Persons with Disabilities.

Addressing vision and hearing impairments and promoting disability inclusion in Malaysia requires a multi-faceted approach involving government, healthcare providers, and civil society. By implementing strategic initiatives and fostering collaboration, Malaysia can ensure that individuals with disabilities can lead fulfilling and productive lives. 

A consultant is expected to support planning and implementation of activities aiming to improve access to health services related to vision and hearing, including conducting situation assessments and strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as strengthen disability inclusion in the health system.

Deliverables

By working closely with the WCO, WPRO and HQ technical units, the consultant will be responsible for providing high quality technical support to MOH and other partners, to achieve the following outputs:-

Output 1. Support to increase the effective refractive error coverage.
Deliverable 1.1: Conduct a situation analysis using the WHO refractive error situation analysis tool (RESAT), including a desk-based review and stakeholder consultations.
Deliverable 1.2: Develop an activity plan aligned to SPECS 2030 in support of the implementation of MySPECS in Malaysia.
Deliverable 1.3: Organize and facilitate cross-sectoral stakeholder meetings and workshops.
Deliverable 1.4: Support the implementation of the identified activities, including to strengthen health data management.

Output 2. Support to improve the ear and hearing care services.
Deliverable 2.1: Conduct a situation analysis using the WHO Ear and hearing care situation analysis tool.
Deliverable 2.2: Conduct stakeholder consultations and workshops.
Deliverable 2.3: Develop an activity plan to strengthen access to the ear and hearing care services.

Output 3. Support to strengthen health system disability inclusion.
Deliverable 3.1: Advocate for inclusion of evidence gaps around disability inclusion in the next national health research agenda.
Deliverable 3.2: Advocate for collection and analysis of disability-disaggregated data.|
Deliverable 3.3: Support adaptation of health promotion programs and activities for PWDs.
Deliverable 3.4: Facilitate engagement of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in program and activity planning and design.

Other Deliverables
Monthly progress reports
Technical materials (e.g., policy briefs, presentation slides) produced throughout the consultancy period.
Final implementation report written in the specified format.

Methods to carry out the activities

Work with stakeholders within and outside of the MOH and facilitate the discussions.
Conduct literature search, gather data and conduct relevant analysis, draft technical briefs, presentations.
Maintain regular communication and engagements with WHO and with MOH by emails, video calls, face-to-face meetings, etc.
Closely work with WHO and MOH for documentation, such as drafting the strategic plan, guidance notes, progress reports, etc
Provide technical support under the supervision of technical leads in the WHO Country Office and WPRO.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:   

Essential: University degree in Medicine, Public Health, Health Policy, Optometry, Audiology, Rehabilitation and/or related fields, from an institution or university recognized in the International Association of Universities’ Worldwide Database of Higher Education Institutions, Systems and Credentials (WHED)
Desirable: Postgraduate (Master's or PhD level) qualification in related field.

Experience  

Essential: Minimum three years' work experience in the areas of optometry, audiology, or other relevant areas.
Desirable: Research experience; Relevant work experience in UN agencies or relevant nongovernmental organizations.

Skills/Knowledge: 

Languages and level required 

Fluent in written and spoken English. Fluency in Bahasa Malaysia will be an advantage.

Location

Onsite: WHO Country Office in Malaysia

Travel 

Consultant may be required to travel within Malaysia to meet with MOH and other stakeholders.

Remuneration and budget 

Remuneration:  TBD (to be paid in MYR) 
Expected duration of contract: 7 months, June to December 2025 (part-time) 

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.
•    The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. 
The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs. 
Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int 
•    An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.
•    WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
•    Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. 
•    WHO shall have no responsibility 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.
•    Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
•    In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates.