National Professional Officer/Environmental Health

The mission of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
Vacancy Notice No: AFRO/14/FT398 Title: National Professional Officer/Environmental Health Grade: NO-C Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment Duration of contract:  2 years renewable	Date: 25 July 2014 Application Deadline: 8 August 2014 (9 day(s) until closing deadline) Currently accepting applications Duty Station:  Lilongwe, Malawi   Organization unit: AF_MWI Malawi (AF_MWI) / AF_MW3 Technical Units (AF_MW3)
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME : The objective of the Regional Programme on the Protection of the Human Environment is to contribute to the reduction of the environmental burden of disease, through regular assessments of the environmental risk factors to human health and the deployment of cost effective preventive interventions in the context of the Libreville Declaration on health and environment in Africa, the Framework For Public Health Adaptation To Climate Change In The African Region and in pursuit of Millennium Development Goals and future Sustainable Development Goals.
Description of duties: The incumbent will be working as an NPO for Environmental Health (EHO) under the direct supervision of WR. Their activities will therefore be articulated under the regional action plan for health and environment. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with other disease prevention and control programmes to ensure the effective consideration and inclusion of primary prevention interventions in their strategies. S/he will closely interact with AFRO in order to streamline the work related to climate change. S/he will also relate to other partners working on health and environment issues to coordinate country support efforts. Summary of Duties Summary of Assigned Duties (Describe what the incumbent has to do to achieve main objectives; include main achievements expected): Under the supervision of the WR and the incumbent will provide technical support to the country in planning, monitoring and evaluation environmental health interventions with a focus on water, sanitation and hygiene in the context of Climate variability and change. The specific duties are to: a) Ensure the integration of health and environment dimensions into public health and sustainable development policies and plans, including those related to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals. He/she will therefore support the situation analysis and needs assessment for the implementation of the Libreville Declaration and coordinate the development of national plans of joint actions. b) Provide technical support to MOH and other sectors to develop their technical and institutional capacities for the implementation of primary prevention interventions, particularly those related to safety of drinking water, safe sanitation, waste management, air pollution, malaria and other vector borne diseases management. d) Support countries to develop and implement national plans of adaptation to Climate change (HNAPs) in the context of The United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) e) Support Capacity building initiatives in the area of environmental health and Climate Service Actions f) Develop and disseminate technical guidelines for healthy settings initiatives (healthy cities, healthy markets, healthy schools, healthy villages etc.) and work with municipalities in the preparation and implementation of action plans on their healthy settings initiatives. The incumbent will also ensure the deployment of integrated health and environment management strategies as healthy settings and promote community mobilization and participation in national and local healthy settings initiatives. g) Monitor, evaluate and report country progress on climate change and health related activities, particularly the achievement of millennium development goals related to improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation, malaria and other vector borne diseases management, and support nutrition improvement strategies. h) Support research to assess Climate change, health and environmental linkages and their policy implications, particularly, the use of climate services in disease surveillance. i) Undertake any other duties as requested by the WR
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Essential: An advanced degree in a relevant field; e.g. Public Health, Civil or Public Health Engineering, Health Promotion, Environmental Health Science; Biological Sciences Desirable: Post graduate degree in Public health would be an asset.
Skills:  Excellent knowledge of health and environment linkages and ways of addressing them. Ability to Good knowledge of health systems and processes of policy formulation and implementation. Technical competence in occupational health. Excellent computer skills; Ability to work in a network and in an international/multicultural environment; Effective oral and written communication skills.
Experience: Essential: Five years of experience in the management of health and environment programmes. Desirable: Practical experience in occupational health
Languages: Sound knowledge of English, French, or Portuguese and working knowledge of at least one of the two other languages
This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.
Online applications are strongly encouraged to enable WHO to store your profile in a permanent database. Please visit WHO's e-Recruitment website at: www.who.int/employment. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement.
WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.