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For every child, the right to Health
The Union of the Comoros is committed to strengthening its information system to better guide public policies in health and nutrition. In this context, two major surveys have recently been conducted: the MICS 2022 survey and the SMART Nutrition 2024 survey.
The MICS 2022 survey, following the DHS/EDSC-MICS 2012, was conducted with support from UNICEF and other partners. It covers several essential topics such as population, education, health, and nutrition, and provides updated statistical data at the national and island levels. These data allow the country to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and identify disparities in access to basic social services.
The SMART Nutrition 2024 survey was carried out to evaluate the nutritional status of children under five in eight health districts across the three islands. It also examined dietary practices and nutritional risk factors among children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age. The collected indicators included the prevalence of all forms of malnutrition (acute, chronic, overweight), the prevalence of anaemia among adolescents and women, as well as coverage of nutritional supplementation (vitamin A, Albendazole) and vaccination. These findings are crucial for informing targeted interventions and enhancing the nutritional well-being of the most vulnerable populations.
The results of these surveys highlight persistent challenges in nutrition. Comoros faces a double burden of malnutrition, characterized by both undernutrition among children and women, and a gradual increase in overweight and obesity, especially among the youngest. Among the concerning results from the MICS 2022 survey, 4% of children under five are overweight. Although this figure seems modest, it reveals an emerging trend towards a nutritional transition marked by the coexistence of undernutrition and excess weight among children. This phenomenon, often overlooked in middle-income contexts, deserves special attention as it exposes children to increased risks of long-term chronic diseases, while reflecting changes in eating habits, environment, and lifestyle.
This is the context for the national action plan of Comoros for the Food Systems for Children Learning Lab (FS4C Learning Lab), implemented with UNICEF support. This plan aims to strengthen children's food environments, improve the quality of available foods, and promote healthy nutritional practices through evidence-based interventions.
The in-depth thematic reanalysis of data from the MICS 2022 and SMART Nutrition 2024 surveys is a key activity of this action plan. It will help better understand the double burden of malnutrition, highlighting trends in overweight and obesity while continuing efforts to reduce undernutrition. It will also provide an opportunity to compare nutritional indicators at national and subnational levels, to identify geographic disparities and priority intervention areas.
Furthermore, this reanalysis will help identify factors correlated with malnutrition and overweight/obesity, in relation to social, economic, and environmental determinants. It will produce targeted thematic syntheses useful for decision-makers, technical and financial partners, and field actors. By strengthening available evidence, this activity will support strategic planning and alignment of actions with national and international nutrition commitments, notably within the SUN initiative, multisectoral policies to combat malnutrition, and FS4C Learning Lab objectives
How can you make a difference?
Specific objectives of this intervention:
- Analyze factors correlated with undernutrition and overweight/obesity (age, sex, residence, socioeconomic status, food / diets, knowledges and practices, etc.).
- Produce concise thematic reports to guide nutrition policies and programs.
- Support dissemination of results to national stakeholders and technical partners.
Main tasks:
- Review the databases of the SMART 2024 and MICS 2022 surveys.
- Reanalyze nutrition data focusing on indicators related to overweight, obesity, and undernutrition.
- Compare results at national, subnational (district), and island levels.
- Identify and analyze factors associated with undernutrition and overweight/obesity (age, sex, residence, socioeconomic status, etc.) for each data set.
- Produce clear and accessible thematic syntheses from the results.
- Write a brief report on childhood, undernutrition, overweight and obesity.
- Facilitate a workshop to present key results to national stakeholders (ministries, technical and financial partners).
The consultancy will be conducted remotely for 30 working days over a 3-month period. The Nutrition Manager of DSF, the Nutrition Administrator, and UNICEF planning, monitoring, and evaluation administrators will be the main contacts for the international consultant during this mission.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: TDR recrutement d'un consultant international pour la reanalyse du MICS 2022 et SMART nutriton.doc
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
- Education:
- University degree (BAC +5) required in one of the following fields:
Public Health, Nutrition, Epidemiology.
Statistics, Demography, or Biostatistics
- Work Experience:
Confirmed professional experience (at least 5–7 years) in designing, implementing, and analyzing nutrition and health surveys, especially MICS and SMART.
Expertise in SMART and MICS methodology: in-depth knowledge of protocols, standards, and tools used for international nutrition surveys.
Skills in statistical analysis and specialized software (SPSS, STATA, ENA for SMART, R) for data processing and interpretation.
Experience in statistical analysis and processing of quantitative and qualitative data.
. - Skills : Proven experience in research and writing clear, precise analytical reports, compliant with international standards and delivered on time.
- Language Requirements: Excellent oral and written communication skills (French and English) and team coordination
Desirables:
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Remarks:
As per 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.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable Male or Female are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
This position is no longer open.
