Consultant, Epidemiology and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (Yellow Fever) at World Health Organization

Deliverables

• Output 1: Coordinate countries’ responses for early detection and timely response to yellow fever cases.
• Output 1.1: Act as the yellow fever focal point at the World Health Organization Country Office and liaise with both the Expanded Programme on Immunization and Emergency departments for optimal coordination.
• Output 1.2: Conduct investigations of suspected yellow fever cases, final classification of yellow fever cases, clinical description of cases, and triangulation of different sources of information with national health authorities.
• Output 1.3: Update yellow fever detection and control plans of the national health authorities, including the urban preparedness component, and integrate them into the national EYE strategy plans as relevant.
• Output 1.4: Provide surge support to countries affected by yellow fever outbreaks.
• Output 2: Facilitate timely vaccination response to yellow fever vaccines under the International Coordination Group mechanism.
• Output 2.1: Implement mitigation measures identified during the evaluation of outbreak response delays in conjunction with the national health authorities to ensure timely reactive vaccination campaigns.
• Output 2.2: Review ICG requests, including the budget, with national health authorities for preparation and submission.
• Output 2.3: Develop reactive vaccination response plans with national health authorities.
• Output 2.4: Review ICG request comments upon their deliberation with the national health authorities.
• Output 2.5: Draft microplanning activities related to reactive vaccination campaigns with the national health authorities.
• Output 2.6: Develop post-campaign coverage survey protocols in line with 2018 World Health Organization Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals Department guidance with the national health authorities.
• Output 3: Facilitate countries in developing routine immunization and catch-up vaccination planning to roll out reactive vaccination campaigns for yellow fever.
• Output 3.1: Coordinate the implementation of measures identified during root cause analysis to strengthen routine immunization for yellow fever with national health authorities.
• Output 3.2: Develop a national catch-up/targeted mass vaccination campaign plan based on immunity gap analysis.
• Output 3.3: Conduct training of national health authorities on the above-mentioned topics.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential

• An advanced level university degree in epidemiology, medicine, public health or related field. Formal training in epidemiology.

Desirable

• Training in applied epidemiology would be an asset.

Essential

• At least seven years of relevant experience working at national/international level in epidemiology conducting monitoring and evaluation of diseases and public health issues related to epidemic-prone diseases.
• Field experience in the African region.

Desirable

Experience with the United Nations agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), or a health cluster member organization.

Skills/Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrated knowledge, competency and professional skills on the public health aspects of infectious disease epidemiology, prevention and control.
• Strong knowledge of disease surveillance systems, understanding of field outbreak response operations.
• Proven ability in managing and analysing public health data sets, including large databank sets.
• Ability to work with governments to implement immunization initiatives.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work as a team with a variety of stakeholders and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft office suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint) and remote working technologies.