Consultant: Essential Drugs & Medicines (EDM) at World Health Organization

Background

 The Kenyan Poisons & Pharmacy Board (PPB) has requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the PPB Inspection Team for a Coached Audit Training. The Audit will be conducted in the form of Classroom Trainings and Coach Inspection Activities for both Small Size (Coach Inspection

1) and Medium Size (Coach Inspection 2) Facilities in Kenya. To support the PPB request, WHO Kenya Country Office proposes to engage a Consultant in the area of Essential Drugs & Medicines (EDM) and Health Technologies & Regulatory to participate and facilitate in the PPB Coached Audit Trainings and related activities in Kenya for a period of five weeks commencing on 27th May 2024 to 30th June 2024.

Deliverables

• Reporting to the Universal Health Coverage Life Course Team Lead, under the overall guidance of the Head of WHO Country Office, and in close collaboration with the respective Technical Leads in the respective WHO Regional Office and HQ, the Consultant will be responsible of the following:
• Participate in the planning, coordination, and training on coached inspection/audit for the PPB in Kenya.
• Support the review of the process and related procedures and guidelines to support PPB’s readiness towards GBT assessment for Maturity Level Three (ML3) certification.
• Follow up on the recommendations of the coached inspection/audit.
• Prepare a presentation in coordination with the cluster lead and regional office on how to increase access to epilepsy medicines.
• Participate in the Epilepsy Advocacy Meeting in Kenya; 26-28 June 2024
• Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor

Qualifications, Experience, Skills and Languages 

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Excellent understanding of the concepts of access to medical products, supply chain management, rational selection and use. 
•  Working knowledge of medical product regulation.
•  Independent judgement, and ability to anticipate new trends in the field of medical products regulation and take/propose actions accordingly.
•  Having experience in conducting benchmarking of national regulatory authorities using the Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) is added advantage.

Competencies 

• Building and promoting partnerships across the Organization and beyond.
• Producing results.
• Ensuring the effective use of resources.
• Fostering integration and teamwork
• Moving forward in a changing environment

Education

•  Essential: University degree in pharmacy or related pharmaceutical sciences from an accredited/recognized institution.
• Desirable: University degree in medicine, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, regulatory sciences, public health or pharmacology. Specialized training in regulation of medical products, emergency management, international aid or humanitarian principles.

Experience

•  Essential: At least five years of relevant experience in the area of essential medicines and related experience working in outbreaks and/or other health emergency operations.
• Desirable: Experience and skills in providing in-country technical support and building national capacity. Experience in policy development. Working experience in regulation of medical products. Relevant experience in WHO, other UN agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations, or nongovernmental organizations.

Language 

• Essential: Excellent knowledge of the English language.
• Desirable: Working knowledge of Local Language (e.g. Swahili) or knowledge of French or other UN language.