Health Policy Advisor - Universal Health Coverage

Job Posting Organization:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. Established on April 7, 1948, WHO's mission is to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve vulnerable populations. It operates in over 150 countries and has more than 7,000 employees worldwide. WHO aims to ensure that all people can attain the highest possible level of health, focusing on universal health coverage, health emergencies, and promoting healthier populations.

Job Overview:
The Health Policy Advisor for Universal Health Coverage will play a crucial role in strengthening health systems in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This position involves providing expert advice to the government and national stakeholders on the design, implementation, and evaluation of health policies and strategies aimed at achieving universal health coverage (UHC). The advisor will work closely with regional and headquarters technical focal points, ensuring that health system strengthening efforts are aligned with national health priorities and global health goals. The role requires a deep understanding of health systems, public health, and the socio-economic factors influencing health outcomes. The advisor will also be responsible for capacity building among national stakeholders to facilitate effective health policy dialogue and reform processes, focusing on critical areas such as health financing, public health, primary health care, and governance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with regional and headquarters technical focal points under the direction of the WHO Representative.
• Provide expert advice to the government and national stakeholders on health policy design, implementation, and evaluation.
• Strengthen the capacity of national stakeholders to organize and conduct effective health policy dialogues.
• Develop a harmonized vision for service delivery to enhance public health and primary health care services.
• Transform health financing modalities to achieve universal health coverage, including improving governance and accountability.
• Evaluate costs and budget health policies, strategies, and national health plans, including macroeconomic analyses and health financing assessments.
• Align essential health system functions such as human resources, access to medicines, and governance.
• Improve and implement a monitoring and evaluation framework for health system strengthening, accepted by all stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the impact of reforms on health outcomes and universal health coverage through comprehensive evaluations. 1
• Establish and strengthen links with institutions, associations, NGOs, and scientific bodies for information exchange and coordination. 1
• Execute other related tasks assigned by the WHO Representative.

Required Qualifications:
Essential: A postgraduate degree in medicine with a specialization in public health, health systems/services administration, health policy, health planning, primary health care, or related social sciences. Desirable: A PhD in public health, social sciences, or health policy, and/or postgraduate training in health systems and planning, management, or health economics. Candidates should possess in-depth technical knowledge and skills in health policy formulation, strengthening, and management, as well as planning, monitoring, and evaluation of health systems.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold a postgraduate degree in a relevant field such as medicine, public health, health systems administration, health policy, or related disciplines. A PhD or equivalent advanced degree in public health or health policy is desirable, along with specialized training in health systems and planning.

Experience:
Essential: A minimum of 10 years of professional experience related to health policy development, strategy formulation, and planning in the health sector, with significant international experience. At least five years of experience in a governmental or international organization serving low-resource or middle-income countries is required. Desirable: Experience in health sector evaluation, analysis, and reporting, as well as consensus-building and collaboration with various national stakeholders.

Languages:
Essential: Expert knowledge of French is required. Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of English is advantageous.

Additional Notes:
The position offers a competitive salary starting at USD 103,165 annually, with additional benefits including a variable post adjustment reflecting the cost of living, 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children. The WHO is committed to diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of underrepresented Member States. Candidates may be required to provide proof of vaccination as per WHO requirements before undertaking a WHO assignment.