Public Health Officer (Disease Control)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

In line with the Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW14), the WHO Representative office for Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau supports WHO’s overarching goal to promote, provide and protect health and well-being for all people, everywhere. The office supports the respective governments in their efforts to prevent and control communicable diseases, including working towards NTD elimination. It also supports the prevention and management of NCDs, with a particular focus on NCD management in primary health care.  
 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent will perform all or part of the following, and other related responsibilities as required by the needs of the office.

• Work under the direct supervision of the Head of the WHO country office.
• Facilitate efficient and effective management, as well as coordination of expertise, to provide technical advice on the development of sustainable, multi-sectoral, and integrated national strategies, policies, interventions, and plans for improvements in health systems and capacity building in the area of communicable disease control and non-communicable disease management.
• Recommend action plans for the inclusion of disease prevention and control interventions across the life course and continuum of care.
• Coordinate the adoption of norms, standards, guidelines and tools to support the implementation of disease control projects.
• Manage the operational aspects of communicable disease related operational research, surveillance, epidemiology, and health surveys.
• Facilitate the implementation of projects for the control of the respective diseases, including setting annual priorities, key performance targets, monitoring and evaluation of the work plans, budgets, and team performance.
• Analyse and evaluate a diverse range of data and information related to communicable diseases and outbreaks; identify disease sources and provide recommendations and reports on the appropriate response to identified risks, and the implementation of preventative and control measures.
• Monitor the national burden of communicable diseases or factors, especially through health information systems and health research activities. Coordinate the development or enhancement of existing information systems on communicable and noncommunicable diseases and the monitoring of progress towards universal health coverage (UHC).
• Serve as technical communication focal point on communicable diseases in the country; and support strengthened community activities concerning the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of communicable diseases.
• Provide technical guidance to improve access to safe, efficacious and affordable medicines and technologies.
• Advocate, build and strengthen partnerships and networks to enhance multi-sectoral collaboration and mobilize resources to address integrated, communicable disease prevention and control

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: A university degree (bachelor’s) in public health, epidemiology, medicine or similar field.
Desirable: Training or specialization in communicable diseases and/or noncommunicable diseases.
 

Experience

Essential: A minimum of five years relevant work experience, including relevant international exposure, in communicable and noncommunicable diseases- NCD management and communicable disease investigation, surveillance and control.
Desirable: Experience developing and implementing national or regional strategies or action plans which focus on communicable disease prevention and control, NCD management.
Demonstrated professional experience providing technical services to national counterparts, ministries of health, and other partners. Relevant work experience, with WHO and/or UN agencies, health cluster partners, nongovernmental or humanitarian organizations. Relevant experience working in the Pacific islands.
 

Skills

• Transmissions, specialized methods of diagnosis, development and treatment of communicable diseases, including HIV infection and other communicable and noncommunicable diseases
• Technical and programmatic knowledge of the prevention and control of a range of communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
• Universal health coverage, primary health care, in-service and pre-service training, essential drugs for noncommunicable diseases, primary health care delivery systems.
• Expertise to strategically plan, coordinate and support the implementation of health programme interventions.
• Knowledge of country situation in relation to communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
• WHO's policies, practices, guidelines and procedures in the related disease control areas, and ability to apply them in the country office setting.
• Health and safety regulations.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Developing and promoting collaborative multi-sectoral partnerships and mobilizing resources.
• Ability to provide clear advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners
  
   

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Producing results
Moving forward in a changing environment 
 

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. 

 

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 71,335 (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 2217 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

• Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework.

• 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 eManual.

• The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment.

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

• WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations (modifications or adjustments to the application or recruitment process) to support their participation in the application and recruitment process. Please send an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int with your full name, the vacancy number you are applying for, and specific details of the accommodation needed in your request.

• 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.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Candidates appointed to a fixed-term position in the International Professional category (Grades P1-D2) are eligible for Geographical Mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• *For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.

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