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Junior Professional Officer - WHO Technical officer (Access to essential health commodities)


IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom and is addressed exclusively to United Kingdom nationals.IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom and is addressed exclusively to United Kingdom nationals.
Objective of the WHO Programme/Department:
The mission of the WHO Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products is to support the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals and better health care delivery in support to Universal Health Coverage. Improving access to and regulation of essential health commodities is a prerequisite for universal health coverage and to the achievement of international goals relating to the unfinished agendas for maternal and child health, communicable diseases targeted by the Millennium Development Goals, and equally crucial in the face of fast-growing burdens of non-communicable diseases and a rapidly ageing world population.
The objective of the Policy, Access and Use Team is to provide leadership and support for the development, dissemination, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based policies, strategies, and guidance to improve access to, and rational use of, safe, affordable and quality assured health commodities, i.e essential medicines and health technologies for communicable and non-communicable diseases, and for the adult and paediatric population. The Policy, Access and Use Team is one of six teams in the Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, Health Systems and Information cluster.
Assignment Summary:
The Technical Officer (JPO) will assist the Policy, Access and Use Team in undertaking research, developing normative documentation and assisting in the provision and coordination of technical support to countries in their efforts to improve access to essential medicines and health technologies for communicable and non-communicable diseases. Throughout the assignment, the JPO will collaborate with other teams in the Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products, across the HIS cluster, as well as with relevant regional and global health initiatives (Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, GAVI Alliance, UNITAID etc.) and UN organizations.
Duties and Responsibilities
1.Assist in the analysis, monitoring and presentation of data and information related to access to medicines and health technologies (20%);
2.Assist in the design of national and regional programmes for the development/update of comprehensive national plans on medicines and health technologies; including indicators and tools for monitoring (20%);
3.Normative guidance: Assist in the development/updating of WHO assessment tools and normative guidance on key components related to improving access: Evidence-based selection and use of essential medicines and health technologies (WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and WHO Model Formulary); Affordability (pricing policies, regulation for affordable procurement and patient prices); Availability (policies and best practices for procurement, supply management and reducing shortage and waste of essential medical products (20%);
4.Technical assistance to countries: Assist in the provision of technical support to WHO Member States, including capacity-building and development and implementation of national policies based on WHO guidance for improving access to essential medicines and health technologies. This will include liaising with national counterparts in ministries, professional associations and relevant international organizations (30%);
5.Assist in the planning and organization of technical briefing seminars, regional and global technical and coordination meetings (prepare background materials, documents, draft minutes) and participate in collaborative networks (10%).
Key Expected Outputs:
At the end of the assignment, it will be expected that the JPO will have contributed to improved availability of WHO information and normative documentation to guide countries in improving overall access to essential health commodities; and will have contributed to WHO’s capacity to respond to the growing request for WHO technical support from Member States in developing national policies on essential medicines and health technologies and implementation of relevant national guidance towards improving overall access.
Competencies
WHO competencies required for the assignment:
•Producing results
•Communicating in a credible and effective way
•Fostering integration and team work
•Excellent planning and organizational skills, with attention to detail and with the ability to multi-task and work under pressure.
•Diplomacy, courtesy and ability to work in a multi-cultural team.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
•Minimum: Advanced university degree in public health, health policy, pharmacy or social sciences.
•Desirable: Post graduate degree in related field.
Work experience:
•Minimum: 2 years relevant professional work experience.
•Desirable: Professional experience in an international organization, or at country level; professional experience in health care or medicines policy issues.
Skills required for the assignment:
•Minimum: Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English
•Desirable: Knowledge of other UN official languages would be an asset
•Proficient in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel and presentation software

HOW TO APPLY:
IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom and is addressed exclusively to United Kingdom nationals.
More details about the JPO Programme and on how to apply for this vacancy can be found at:http://www.undp.org/content/jposc/en/home.html