WHO
Direct from WHO careers
Consultant - Health Expenditure Tracking and SRHR Financing
Position details
- Vacancy number: 2603381
- Contractual arrangement: External consultant
- Contract duration: 3 months
- Organization: AF/HSS Health Systems and Services
- Schedule: Full-time
- Closing date: Sep 2, 2026, 6:59:00 AM
1. Background
The WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO), with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), is implementing a three-year initiative entitled “Financing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), is implementing a three-year initiative entitled “Financing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa: Spending Data, Financial Accountability, and Regional Learning.” The initiative aims to strengthen the generation, quality, and use of expenditure data to improve accountability, policy dialogue, and sustainable financing for SRHR across the African Region.
A key component of the project focuses on strengthening the measurement and visibility of SRHR expenditures within the System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011) framework. While SHA 2011 provides an internationally standardized methodology for tracking health expenditures, important SRHR components—including safe abortion services, infertility and subfertility services, reproductive cancers, sexual and gender-based violence services, and sexual health and wellbeing—remain only partially captured or insufficiently disaggregated in current reporting systems.
To address these challenges, WHO AFRO is leading work to refine the SHA methodology for SRHR expenditure tracking, pilot the approach in selected countries, and generate country-level and regional evidence on SRHR financing. In parallel, WHO continues to support National Health Accounts (NHA) production across the Region and seeks to strengthen the analysis and use of NHA datasets beyond the indicators routinely reported through the Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED).
WHO therefore seeks a consultant with strong expertise in National Health Accounts, SHA 2011 methodology, health expenditure analysis, and reproductive and maternal health financing to support both the methodological work on SRHR expenditure tracking and broader regional analytical work on health expenditure data.
Objectives of the Consultancy
The overall objective of the consultancy is to support WHO AFRO in strengthening the measurement, analysis, and use of SRHR expenditure data through improvements to health expenditure tracking methodologies and enhanced analysis of National Health Accounts data across the African Region.
Specific objectives are to:
1. Support the refinement and operationalization of the SHA 2011 framework to improve the identification and measurement of SRHR expenditures.
2. Support the development, validation, piloting, and revision of technical guidance on SRHR expenditure tracking.
3. Provide technical support to pilot countries applying the refined methodology during National Health Accounts exercises.
4. Strengthen WHO AFRO's capacity to compile, manage, analyze, and interpret National Health Accounts datasets from countries across the Region.
5. Generate analytical products and evidence on SRHR financing, reproductive and maternal health financing, and broader health expenditure trends using detailed NHA datasets.
6. Support the production of country, regional, and thematic analyses that inform policy dialogue, advocacy, and decision-making.
Scope of Work
Under the supervision of the Health Financing and Governance Unit at WHO AFRO, the consultant will undertake the following activities:
1. Support refinement of the SHA methodology for SRHR expenditure tracking
• Review existing SHA 2011 classifications and mapping of SRHR interventions.
• Support development of refined SRHR expenditure classifications and coding structures.
• Contribute to drafting and revision of technical guidance on SRHR expenditure tracking.
• Prepare technical background documents, analytical notes, and methodological papers.
• Support organization and technical preparation of expert validation consultations.
2. Support piloting of the SRHR expenditure tracking methodology
• Provide technical support to selected pilot countries implementing the refined methodology.
• Review expenditure mapping approaches and country application of the guidance.
• Participate in technical review of pilot outputs and expenditure estimates.
• Document lessons learned and recommendations arising from pilot implementation.
• Contribute to finalization of the methodology based on pilot findings.
3. Strengthen regional NHA data management and analysis
• Compile and organize NHA datasets received from countries across the African Region.
• Review NHA production files, including Health Accounts Production Tool (HAPT) files and associated datasets.
• Extract detailed expenditure information not routinely available through GHED.
• Develop standardized approaches for managing and documenting country NHA datasets.
• Support quality assurance and validation of submitted expenditure data.
4. Conduct analytical work on health and SRHR expenditures
• Analyze NHA data to generate evidence on SRHR financing trends across countries and over time.
• Produce analyses on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health expenditures.
• Conduct expenditure analyses by financing source, financing scheme, provider type, function, disease category, and beneficiary population where data permit.
• Identify financing patterns, funding gaps, and opportunities for improving resource allocation.
• Support development of regional and country analytical products.
5. Support dissemination and evidence use
• Contribute to preparation of country SRHR expenditure briefs.
• Prepare presentations, technical reports, and policy-oriented summaries.
• Support regional learning activities and technical exchanges.
• Contribute to evidence products that support policy dialogue, advocacy, and resource mobilization.
2. Deliverables
The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:
• Inception report and workplan.
• Technical inputs to the draft and final guidance on SRHR expenditure tracking using SHA 2011.
• Technical review reports from pilot country implementation.
• Consolidated regional database of NHA datasets and supporting documentation.
• Standardized procedures for extracting and managing detailed NHA data.
• Analytical brief health expenditures trends in the African region
• Presentations and technical materials for regional dissemination.
• Final consultancy report summarizing achievements, analyses conducted, and recommendation
3. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Identify the educational qualifications and expertise needed for the terms of reference outlined above.
Educational Qualifications
1. Education
Essential: Advanced university degree (Master's level or above) in health economics, economics, public health, health financing, statistics, epidemiology, development economics, or another relevant field.
Desirable
• Specialized training in National Health Accounts, System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011), health financing, health economics, or expenditure analysis.
• Additional training or academic background in reproductive health, maternal health, or SRHR is an asset.
2. Experience
Essential
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in health financing, health expenditure tracking, National Health Accounts, or health economics.
• Demonstrated experience working with the SHA 2011 framework and National Health Accounts production.
• Experience analyzing health expenditure data and producing analytical reports.
• Experience working with large datasets and quantitative analysis.
• Experience supporting countries in the production or use of National Health Accounts.
Desirable
• experience with Health Accounts Production Tool (HAPT) datasets and country production files.
• Experience working on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health or broader SRHR financing issues.
• Experience working with WHO, OECD, World Bank, UN agencies, or development partners on health financing and resource tracking.
• Experience supporting multi-country analytical projects in Africa.
• Familiarity with the Global Health Expenditure Database and health financing indicators.
Skills/Knowledge
• Advanced knowledge of the System of Health Accounts (SHA 2011).
• Strong understanding of National Health Accounts production processes.
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills.
• Strong skills in data management and statistical analysis.
• Ability to analyze complex expenditure datasets and derive policy-relevant findings.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.
Software Skills
• Proficiency in Excel and data analysis software such as Stata, R, SPSS, or similar.
• Experience working with Health Accounts Production Tool (HAPT) datasets is highly desirable.
• Experience managing large databases and analytical datasets.
Languages and level required
• Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
• Desirable: Working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese.
4. Technical Supervision
The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the HFG Team lead, and under the guidance of the assigned technical leads.
5. Location
Off-site (Home based).
6. Travel
The consultant is not expected to travel.
7. Remuneration and budget (travel costs excluded)
Band level B - USD 8,500 per month.
8. Expected duration of contract
Four (4) months.
9. Additional Information:
• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/ . Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int .
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html