Human migration and displacement have reached unprecedented levels, with an estimated 1 billion people who have migrated or have been forcibly displaced owing to economic, environmental, political, conflict and other forces. By mid-2023, 110 million people were forcibly displaced; 62.5 million people internally displaced, 36.4 million as refugees, and 6.1 million people as asylum seekers. Migration and displacement are key determinants of health and well-being, and people on the move experience poorer health outcomes than the communities who host them, often due to their living and transit conditions.

WHO provides global direction on the technical area of health and migration, in line with Global Action Plan on the Promotion of Health of Refugees and Migrants, GPW13, the SDGs, and other overarching frameworks in achieving significant health status gains for refugee and migrant population.

The following are the five core functions of WHO’s work on health and migration:

1. Provide global leadership, high-level advocacy, and dialogue to raise awareness and political commitments and coordinate and policy development on health and migration.
2. Set norms and standards on health and migration, including co-development of guidance and tools and promoting a research agenda to generate evidence to support decision-making and global guidance for new tools and strategies on health and migration.
3. Monitor trends, strengthen health information systems, and develop an accountability framework and indicators for progress monitoring and reporting on the Global Action Plan implementation.
4. Provide specialized technical assistance, response, and capacity-building support to Member States, WHO technical departments, regional and country offices, and partners to address public health challenges associated with human mobility wherever needed nationally and transnationally.
5. Promote health and migration multilateral, inter-country, inter-regional, and global actions across United Nations systems, including the United Nations Network on Migration (UN Migration Network) and other intergovernmental and nongovernmental mechanisms.

In the first WHO Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement, the effects of climate change on the health of displaced and migrant populations were identified as a key priority requiring urgent investment; however questions are broad and currently undefined. The impact of climate change on these populations is not yet well understood, but it is imperative to consider climate change as a determinant to their health. Climate change is a risk or threat multiplier, exacerbates weaknesses in health systems and widens health inequities. Action is urgently required to improve the health of displaced and migrant populations in the context of climate change.

Deliverables

Essential:

• First university degree in medicine, epidemiology, social science, environmental science or related field.
• Advanced university degree in public health or equivalent.

Desirable:

• PhD in public health, epidemiology, or related field.

Experience:  

Essential:

• At least 4 years’ relevant experience at global and field level in public health and the development and implementation of health programmes and/or health system strengthening.
• Experience of planning, conducting, and writing up research to peer-reviewed publications.
• Experience working with academic institutions, member states, NGOs and UN agencies and strategy development.
• Experience of working on policy, research, or data either related to migration and health, or migration and climate change.

Desirable:

• At least 2 years’ experience working in developing countries in planning, implementation, training, education, monitoring and evaluation of health activities related to health system and refugees and migrants.
• Experience of analysis of data sets, including assessment of data sources, related to migration and health, or migration and climate change.
• Experience of having planned and conducted focus groups, interviews, roundtables, consultations, or equivalent.

Skills: 

Essential:

• Strong report-writing skills (in English).
• Ability to write, synthesize and communicate information in a clear and concise manner.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills combined with the ability to multi-task and produce accurate results under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences.
• Computer literacy.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the field of public health, migration and health and WHO’s stakeholder environment.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable:

• Intermediate knowledge of other UN official languages.

Location 

Off site: Home-based.

Travel 

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level A – USD 3,955 – 6,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract: 

11 months.