Public Health Officer (Epidemiology)
USD 71,335Posted 1 day ago
Closes in 21 days
About the company
This role sits within WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), which builds the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks. WHE combines WHO's operational, technical and normative capacity in outbreaks, emergencies and risk analysis to address health hazards across the risk management cycle. The programme operates within the broader humanitarian and emergency management architecture to support people at risk of, or affected by, outbreaks and emergencies, while strengthening local and national capabilities.
About the role
The incumbent will support surveillance and response programmes for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including developing monitoring tools and indicators and contributing to an early warning and response system for epidemic and pandemic-prone diseases. The role involves verifying outbreak information, maintaining an event management database, and conducting risk assessments and retrospective analyses of reported events. It also covers briefing officials on evolving health situations, preparing outbreak updates for decision makers, organizing training and field investigation missions, and contributing to guidelines and protocols for epidemic control. The post holder will work to build partnerships with relevant bodies and sectors to support implementation of public health policies for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Key responsibilities
- Assist in developing appropriate tools and indicators for monitoring implementation of programmes on surveillance and response for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
- Contribute to the development of an early warning and response system for epidemic and pandemic-prone diseases.
- Collect and verify information on reported outbreaks or rumors from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
- Maintain and adapt an event management system database of reported outbreaks and public health events and document all steps taken in the verification and response process.
- Undertake monitoring and evaluation of risk assessments based on incoming epidemic intelligence and brief responsible officials periodically on the evolving health situation.
- Conduct retrospective analysis of reported events to determine trends, distribution patterns, and efficiency of the verification mechanism.
- Prepare and disseminate disease outbreak news, updates and assessments to key decision makers.
- Organize training courses for health care workers on field investigation, surveillance and response to outbreaks, and organize technical missions for field investigation of outbreaks as required.
About the successful candidate
- Bachelor's degree in epidemiology, medicine or public health with specialization in epidemiology.
- Desirable: an advanced university degree (master's level or higher) related to epidemiology or post-graduate training in epidemiology, such as a Field Epidemiology Training Programme.
- At least five years' relevant work experience, with proven international exposure, in epidemiology including implementing programmes, policies, and guidelines as well as monitoring and evaluation of diseases and public health issues.
- Desirable: relevant international experience in outbreak investigation and response for emerging and re-emerging diseases.
- Desirable: demonstrated knowledge, competency and professional skills in public health aspects of infectious disease control and in using descriptive epidemiology and public health principles in communicable disease surveillance and response.
- Desirable: ability to write reports on outbreaks and interpret epidemiological surveillance data.
- Desirable: good presentation and writing skills.
- Expert knowledge of English.