Medical Officer (HIM - Health Information Management) at World Health Organization (WHO)

World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Medical Officer (HIM - Health Information Management)

Job ID: 2408438
Location: Abuja
Grade: P4
Contractual Arrangement: Fixed-term appointment
Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 12 months

Objective of the Programme

• The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (The Programme) is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergencies risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected population.

Description of Duties
During deployment, the duty station may change, and duties may be modified, based upon the technical and operational needs of the Programme.
The incumbent will be required to perform all or part of the following duties:

• Carry out at Country level all aspects of early detection of acute public health events using the WHO Epidemic Intelligence Open Sources platform (EIOS), including but not limited to event-based surveillance; verification and risk assessment, monitoring; and information-sharing on events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
• Support HIM capacity to analyze and interpret epidemiological and surveillance data.
•  Develop and provide capacity building and training to colleagues within WHO and key partners, including Ministries of Health with focus on strengthening detection, data analysis, data interpretation and risk assessment capacity.
• Carry out all aspects of early detection of acute public health events, including but not limited to event-based surveillance; verification and risk assessment; and information-sharing on events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
• Contribute to the improvement of the new WHO's Event Management System (EMS2) developed by WHO HQ; while updating the events in the Event Management System (EMS). Conduct emergency epidemiological field risk-assessment missions as required.
• Collaborate and Coordinate activities with the staff at all levels in the Public Health Intelligence Team and the Health Emergency Information and Risk Assessment Department, to foster (a) the elaboration and implementation of WHO-wide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools for detecting, verifying, assessing and monitoring events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern in line with the operational requirements of IHR; and (b) the definition of institutional strategies and analysis linked to the formation of briefing documents and materials; situation analyses; and convening multi-disciplinary risk assessment, as appropriate.
• Provide technical guidance to further the development of event Information System (EIS) and other public health intelligence platforms.
• Encourage or promote the implementation of new approaches and innovative methods to systematically detect and assess events of potential significance to international public health, with emphasis on building partnerships networks.
• Enhance and encourage world-wide information sharing as a key component of promoting and nurturing a culture of multidisciplinary and cross-cutting approaches within WHO and with key partners.
• Develop and provide capacity building and training to colleagues within WHO and partners, including Ministries of Health, with focus on enhancing epidemiology and information management core competencies, and stimulate collaboration with officials at the regional and national levels, to ensure a coordinated response using standardized, innovative information systems and tools.
• Lead the analysis and the interpretation of data on signals and events collected from different sources.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

Requirements

• Essential: Doctor of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or MBBS and Post-graduate degree in Epidemiology or MPH which majors in Epidemiology.
• Desirable: Specialization in planning and/or information management systems. Specific training in humanitarian response or emergency information management.
• At least 7 years' experience in outbreak-prone infectious disease analysis and response including some years of demonstrated international exposure and considerable experience in the management of outbreak-prone infectious diseases obtained in developing countries

Desirable:

• Experience with WHO and/or the UN system in the areas of outbreak response and data analysis.
• Experience of working with a UN agency, Experience in risk assessment or risk analysis experience with scientific working

Skills:

• In-depth knowledge in zoonoses, international public health and event-based surveillance.
• Proven organizational and analytical skills, together with excellent interpersonal skills
• Capacity to promote and implement collaboration and exchange with partners, towards the implementation of best practices.
• Proven ability to write technical documents in a clear and concise manner.

Application Closing Date
12Tth November, 2024.