Public health Officer (epidemiology)
USD 96,017Posted 2 days ago
Closes in 19 days
About the company
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. This posting is listed through UN Jobnet Fiji for a WHO position based in Suva.
About the role
This is a P3 mid-level professional, short-term, internationally recruited position in epidemiology based in Suva, Fiji. The role sits within WHO's surveillance and outbreak response work, covering emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. It involves developing monitoring tools, verifying outbreak information, maintaining an event management database, and briefing officials on the evolving health situation. The officer also analyses past outbreak events to identify trends and assess the effectiveness of verification processes, and supports training and field missions for outbreak investigation.
Key responsibilities
- Assist in developing appropriate tools and indicators for monitoring implementation of surveillance and response programmes 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 rumours from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
- Maintain and adapt an event management system database of reported outbreaks and public health events, documenting all steps 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 the 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: advanced university degree (master's level or higher) in epidemiology, or post-graduate training such as a Field Epidemiology Training Programme.
- At least five years' relevant work experience in epidemiology, with proven international exposure, including implementing programmes, policies and guidelines and monitoring and evaluation of diseases and public health issues.
- Desirable: relevant international experience in outbreak investigation and response for emerging and re-emerging diseases.
- Demonstrated knowledge and professional skills in public health aspects of infectious disease control, and in monitoring and evaluation using descriptive epidemiology and surveillance principles.
- Ability to write reports on outbreaks and interpret epidemiological surveillance data, with good presentation and writing skills.
- WHO competencies in teamwork, respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences, communication, adaptability to change, and producing results.
- Expert knowledge of English.