Position number:459151, National Professional Officer
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
The Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) programme is responsible for providing technical and strategic support to the Ministry of Health in Sudan for:
(1) building health system capacity for detection, verification and containment of infectious disease outbreaks or any other public health events of international concern including avian and pandemic influenza as well as other emerging public health threats;
(2) strengthening epidemiological and laboratory surveillance for epidemic and pandemic prone communicable diseases;
(3) improving public health preparedness for any emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases with epidemic and pandemic potentials;Overall, the programme works closely with the IHM/EMRO to ensure availability of technical support and strategic guidance for detection, verification, risk assessment, communication and adequate real-time response to public health emergencies in Sudan that might constitute a potential public health concern in the country.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The incumbent will perform the following duties:Act as the Focal Point for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness:
1.Monitor proper implementation of the biennial workplan for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Partnership Contribution Funds.
2.Establish/strengthen sentinel sites for Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) surveillance.
3.Collaborate with the Ministry of Health in assessing the feasibility and needs for influenza sample collection, shipment and transfer of samples for laboratory testing to a reference influenza laboratory in the Region.
4.Prepare standard procedures for data collection, analysis and reporting.
5.Collaborate with the National Influenza Center to improve their capacity to collect, analyze, and report routine influenza surveillance data according to regional surveillance standards, through training and technical advice.
6.Establish influenza surveillance and laboratory networks to support evidence-based public health risk assessment and response strategies.
7.Measure and assess disease burden related to influenza and other acute respiratory diseases using routinely collected surveillance data or from any other appropriate sources of information in order to better understand influenza epidemiology.
8.Participate in the development of project proposals and mobilization of sustainable resources for the effective operations of the related projects/programmes.
9.Organize technical meetings/workshops with national health counterparts for strengthening infection prevention and control programme in health care settings for acute respiratory diseases of epidemic and pandemic potentials.
As Focal Point for Infectious Hazard Management:
10.Participate actively in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health policies and programmes pertaining to surveillance and response of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases particularly those with epidemic and pandemic potentials at the country level.
11.Collaborate with the Infectious Hazard Management unit of WHO/EMRO for supporting the Ministry of Health in the areas of prevention, detection, verification, assessment, including field investigation and response to health threats from emerging and other epidemic-prone diseases.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Essential: University degree in Medicine, Public Health or Nursing.
Desirable: Master's degree in Public Health.
Experience
Essential: At least 2 years of relevant experience, in communicable disease control programs especially in epidemiology and surveillance of communicable diseases.
Desirable: Relevant experience in the UN system or an international organization.
Skills
1.Theoretical and practical knowledge of public health, communicable disease control, analyzing data, concise reporting, and surveillance of communicable diseases.
2.Proven skills for the development, implementation and analysis of surveillance projects and activities, including budget programming and control.
3.Ability to write reports, oral presentations and technical and advocacy documents.
WHO Competencies
Enhanced WHO Global Competency Model:
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/who-careers/who-enhanced-competence.pdf?sfvrsn=aae66472_3&download=true
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. Expert knowledge of Arabic.
Desirable:
REMUNERATION
Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 51,553 (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 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. According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff 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 staff. 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. 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 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. For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int. WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully. The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. 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. This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered. In case the 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 this link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply on-line. For assessment of your application, please ensure that:1-Your profile is properly completed and updated.
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