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Senior Public Health Officer

Amman

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Amman
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Sexual and reproductive health
  • Closing Date: Closed

Senior Public Health Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Senior Public Health Officer will ensure that UNHCR's health programmes meet minimum international UNHCR and international health standards; the incumbent plays a crucial role in programme coordination, planning, and monitoring including data analysis and evaluation, capacity building of UNHCR personnel and partners, and advocacy, information and communication on public health-related issues.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- There is a viable standard Health Information System in place for data collection, analysis and interpretation to serve as evidence base for planning and interventions.
- Nutritional survey and other assessments for food and nutrition are adequately conducted and implemented.
- Immediate response and guidance is provided to refugee health and related concerns.

Responsibility

A. Coordination and Strategy:
- Facilitate coordination of health, nutrition and actors, so that public health, nutrition programmes are planning and implementation is streamlined, resources are optimally utilized and there is active participation of the government and partners including refugees and UN agencies. Effective coordination will identify gaps and overlaps in programming, address unmet needs, and orient existing activities to address priority public health issues.
- Work in a multi-sectoral and co-ordinated approach in co-operation with government, UN agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners.
- Work with stakeholders, including UN agencies, NGO's, Ministries of Health and academic institutions for development of disease control plans associated with refugee movements (including in repatriation programmes).
- Take a lead role in co-ordinating Health and Nutrition activities and ensure that decisions are implemented as agreed upon.
- Work closely with UNHCR programme, field and protection staff to identify priority health issues and key data requirements for programme planning and monitoring to ensure that minimum UNHCR and international standards are being met. 
- Update and disseminate standard practices on public health, nutrition, HIV and reproductive health among partners.
- Represent UNHCR in relevant national fora concerning refugee health and nutrition.
- Support the prioritization of the Primary Health Care strategy focusing on preventive and basic curative health, including mental health, reproductive health, HIV and nutritional components.
- Support establishment of a strong referral care system for secondary and tertiary health care, including being a member of the Elective Care Committee.
- Support health focal points to participate in the review and analysis of relevant project proposals and budgetary submissions presented by UNHCR partners within the context of the UNHCR programming cycle.
-  Ensure that project plans or proposals submitted to UNHCR for funding adhere to internationally accepted standards, and are based on a comprehensive PHC strategy.

B. Technical Assistance:
- Provide technical assistance in needs and resources assessments together with the government and partners in order to prioritise needs and activities in the provision of services to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
- Emphasise prevention and treatment of diseases with heaviest burden and promotion of comprehensive reproductive health programmes
- Ensure, in close co-ordination with other humanitarian actors, that health care services provided to refuges are based on Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognized and most up-to-date standards and policies.
- Establish and/or adapt UNHCR internal guidelines and procedures to streamline inputs and improve efficiency of the programme activities.
- Maintain and update contingency plans for potential epidemics, refugee and returnee movements.

C. Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Ensure implementation of the UNHCR Health Information System and support the analysis of public health data.
- Ensure the monitoring and evaluating of health and nutrition programmes against standard UNHCR and international indicators, to ensure that programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner.
- Support the nutritional survey and other nutritional surveys.
- Active involvement in all aspects of programme monitoring and evaluation with a main emphasis on checking levels of implementation and impact vis-à-vis resource inputs to measure cost-effectiveness and re-orient the programme as appropriate.
- Promote applied research and programme evaluation to enable the identification of gaps in programme implementation and standards, and to further promote evidence-based activities and guidance.
- Monitor technical aspects of the health and nutrition programme with emphasis on:
- Organization and use of UNHCR's Health System in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
- Application of standard guidelines and protocols.
- Comprehensiveness of health and nutrition programme.
- Use of Health Sector Monitoring Forms.
- Apply various mechanisms and tools to ensure proper monitoring including:
- Regular meetings, in accordance with UNHCR programming cycle.
- Regular flow of information (reporting).
- Conventional/non-conventional surveys and evaluation studies.
- Meeting with health implementing partners.
- Providing technical support and guidance to implementing/operational partners where required.
- Data analysis and interpretation.

D. Capacity Building:
- Ensure the capacity of UNHCR and its implementing partners to address public health, nutrition, reproductive health and HIV programming in a co-ordinated, multi-sectoral way by:
- Support focal points to develop a training plan, organise, and act as resource person in workshops and training both in-service (formal) and on the job (mentoring).
- Share with local and international partners on the ground relevant guidelines and information materials on refugee HIV, reproductive health, general health, and nutrition.
- Support health focal points to promote the establishment of Refugee Committees to enable refugees actively participate in the process of health planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

E. Advocacy:
- Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for refugees, returnees and other persons of concern access to local public health, reproductive health (RH) and HIV/AIDS services and lobby for inclusion of refugees, returnees and other persons of concern as a specific group in government policies related to health, RH and HIV/AIDS.
- Promote information sharing on all aspects related to refugees and persons of concern to UNHCR and the UNHCR role in advocacy for the welfare and rights of refugees and persons of concern to UNHCR.
- Ensure regular update and share information within UNHCR as well as with the government, UN and NGO partners and donor communities on the health status and needs of the refugees.

Authority

- Provide guidance and make recommendations on the overall strategy and focus of Public Health and Nutrition programmes.
-  Represent UNHCR in Health Coordination and other meetings.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Advanced degree in medicine or nursing with a Masters-level qualifications in public health.
- Training / experience in nutrition; infectious diseases/tropical medicine /community.medicine/anthropology/other relevant skills an advantage.
- Minimum 10 years of previous job experience relevant to the function.
- Fluency in English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Advanced degree in medicine or nursing with a Masters-level qualifications in public health.
- Training / experience in nutrition; infectious diseases/tropical medicine /community.medicine/anthropology/other relevant skills an advantage.
- Minimum 10 years of previous job experience relevant to the function.
This vacancy is now closed.
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