Medical Officer (Child Development)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The overall objective of the CAH Programme is to support Member States in the WHO African Region in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, strategies and plans to increase access to evidence-based interventions to reduce risks and improve the overall health, development and wellbeing of children and adolescents towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage and the relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. Within the framework of the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030), the Programme works with Member States to develop and integrate national policies, strategies and plans for child and adolescent health and wellbeing into national health sector strategic plans and national health systems, and guides their implementation, including reviewing and redesigning programming and organization of the health service delivery platforms, supporting implementation at national and subnational levels, and promoting quality of care. The Programme also provides support for the building of institutional capacity of Member States and catalyzing actions for improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. In collaboration with the Assistant Regional Directors’ Cluster, the Program supports countries in defining the research and innovations agenda to generate and use evidence and strategic information on trends and coverage of interventions and on health and well-being. In addition, the Programme advocates for, fosters partnerships and mobilizes increased resources for child and adolescent health services, including in collaboration with other clusters and work areas within the Regional Office, such as nutrition, mental, neurological and substance use disorders, and prevention of violence. The goal is to enable countries in the WHO African Region ensure that evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high-quality, integrated, child and adolescent health services, increase the coverage and quality of effective interventions, and to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies and interventions.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

• Coordinate, advise and support Member States, stakeholders and partners to introduce and institutionalize Early Childhood Development, Child and adolescent Wellbeing and Community Child and adolescent Health programming at regional and country levels;
• Advocate for and support Member States to integrate interventions that support early childhood development into their national policies, strategies, plans and service packages for health and other relevant sectors including at community level, covering a range of programmatic areas including child health, nutrition, developmental disabilities, and caregiver mental health, amongst others;
• Support the implementation of policies, norms, guidelines, standards and tools for early childhood development, child and adolescent wellbeing and community child and adolescent health;
• Promote effective collaboration with the Nutrition Team for capacity building of countries, including but not limited to identifying and implementing optimal infant and young child feeding practices; protection promotion and support of breast feeding, complementary feeding, and micronutrient supplements to promote early childhood development;
• Promote effective collaboration with the Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Team for capacity building of countries, including but not limited to maternal/perinatal mental health, caregiver mental health, and measurement of outcomes and impact of early childhood interventions;
• Contribute to building the continuum of nurturing care for children and adolescents and supports governments in transforming systems and services to support healthy growth, development, and wellbeing including for children 5 – 9 years of age;
• Proactively engage with countries, development partners and other stakeholders to undertake research in early childhood development, child and adolescent wellbeing and community child and adolescent health to facilitate evidence-based decision making;
• Contribute to strengthening of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization for children’s and adolescent healthy growth, development and well-being, including with regional policy and governance bodies;
• Provide technical guidance and backup support to the RMNCAH, Nutrition and NCD Multi-Country Assignment Teams;
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned in his/her area of expertise, including replacing and backstopping others as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Advanced university degree in medicine complemented with a degree or training in the field of Pediatrics, Child Health or Public Health.
Desirable: Training in early childhood development, nutrition or community health, Global Mental Health, Child Neurology.

Experience

Essential: At least seven years’ relevant experience in planning, implementing, management and evaluation of child health programmes.
Desirable: Experience in conducting research, surveys and studies in the field of infant feeding or early childhood development. Experience in managing child neurodevelopment programs an added advantage. Experience in the UN system or intergovernmental agencies.

Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in all aspects of Child Development, complemented with excellent knowledge of effective child and adolescent health interventions and programming;
• Proven knowledge of policy formulation and strategic planning, monitoring, and evaluation, reporting and evidence-based documentation, complemented by experience incapacity building, training and mentorship skills.
• Strong organization skills and capacity to establish and manage partnerships and establish consensus while ensuring effective work practices and ethics, especially in the area of resources mobilization.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively across Teams/Clusters, within the Regional Office, and across the 3 levels of WHO.

WHO Competencies

1. Teamwork
2. Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
3. Communication
4. Producing results
5. Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
6. Creating an empowering and motivating environment.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English or French with a good knowledge of the other.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Portuguese.

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 3583 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.

• 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.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

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• 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 [email protected]

• 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.

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