Medical Officer (Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B)

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2601533
• Grade: P4
• Contractual arrangement: Fixed-term appointment
• Contract duration: 12 months
• Organization: HQ/PPC Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care
• Schedule: Full-time
• Closing date: Nov 4, 2026, 3:59:00 AM

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The vision of the Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care (PPC) is to advance health for all by anticipating change and integrating promotion, prevention and care across all health and disease areas to address today's greatest health burdens and tomorrow's challenges​. Within PPC Division, the Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections (HTH) aims to lead the global effort to end HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, by delivering norms & standards, and making sure that every person has equitable access to people-centred scientific evidence, services, and innovations, no matter where they live.
 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Team Lead and overall direction of the Unit Head for People-Centred Services, Key Populations and Comorbidities (SPC), the incumbent will be responsible for the following: 

• Coordinate the development of evidence-based normative guidance and ensure WHO's leadership on EMTCT, together with the Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (LHR) is maintained. This includes prevention and treatment for women and girls and early infant service delivery in close collaboration and coordination with the relevant external stakeholders. 

• Coordinate revision of WHO guidance related to EMTCT, including for monitoring and evaluation, validation, and approaches, identifying baselines, and targets to advance elimination. 

• Provide technical expertise and capacity building support to WHO regional and country offices to disseminate and implement new normative guidance and foster south-to-south learning through sharing of best practices. 

• Provide technical guidance and support to member states on policy and capacity building for health system strengthening towards integration for elimination and validation, including on monitoring and evaluation related frameworks, human rights commitments, community engagement and gender equity.

• Ensure that early impact and lessons learned on the implementation of guidelines are disseminated at the global level.

• Coordinate the Triple Elimination Initiative for ending paediatric HIV, syphilis and HBV infections globally, utilizing the expert advice and recommendations from WHO designed validation structures at all levels including the Global Validation Advisory Committee (GVAC), regional validation committees (RVCs) and national validation committees (NVCs) in priority countries.

• Coordinate the functioning of the Global Validation Secretariat (GVS) and partnerships for EMTCT validation with other UN agencies and multilateral partners. 

• Coordinate revision of EMTCT validation guidance, including for monitoring and evaluation, validation guidelines and approaches, identifying baselines, and targets to advance elimination and its validation. 

• Serve as the technical focal point for the EMTCT agenda, including addressing prevention and care responses in non-pregnant adolescent girls and young women, pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls living with HIV or HBV, or seropositive for syphilis, which requires extensive interagency collaboration.

• Serve as the technical lead for critical and timely updates of existing, biomedical EMTCT and infant service delivery guidelines focused on eliminating paediatric HIV, syphilis and viral hepatitis infections. 

• Participate as a technical focal point in relevant interagency fora and partnerships on EMTCT and early infant service delivery, particularly in collaboration with UNICEF and UNAIDS. 

• Contribute to intra- and inter-departmental efforts to strengthen the integration of EMTCT responses within primary health care and reproductive health platforms. 

• Work closely with relevant technical focal points in the department and in the Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (LHR), to ensure scale up of treatment and care for HIV, syphilis and HBV for pregnant and breastfeeding women living with or seropositive for HIV, syphilis and HBV, and a focus on post-partum service delivery and follow up. 

• Provide technical input to WHO efforts to set the research agenda and monitoring and assess trends of HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs in infants and children.

• Build and sustain technical and strategic collaboration with other key stakeholders working on paediatric issues with the UN system (UNAIDS, UNICEF), Global Fund, Unitaid and other partners as well as with international NGOs and academic partners.

• Any other tasks as requested by the Unit Head.
   

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: 

• Advanced level university degree (MD or equivalent) in Medicine from a recognized institution.

• Advanced level university degree (Masters level or equivalent) in public health, health sciences, communicable diseases, or a related field.

Desirable: Additional training or PhD in infectious diseases, preferably related to HIV, STIs, TB or hepatitis.
 

Experience

Essential: 

• At least seven years of progressive professional experience in infectious disease programmes, with a focus on HIV and/or STI programmes, including policy development, programme implementation, service delivery, and/or research at national and/or international levels.

• Demonstrated international exposure.

• Demonstrated experience in the development and implementation of policies, strategies, and guidelines for communicable diseases, including HIV or STIs, and in the delivery of integrated services for HIV, STIs and related comorbidities and health conditions, including noncommunicable diseases, mental health conditions, and opportunistic infections.

• At least 2 years' experience in providing implementation guidance and technical support in the field of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT) in LMICs. 

• Proven experience collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, including national governments, implementing partners, civil society organizations, and development partners, to support the adoption, implementation, and scale-up of health policies and programmes.

Desirable: 

• Experience in developing and maintaining technical partnerships, documented experience in service delivery settings in LMICs (SRH and MCH) is an asset. 

• Substantial experience working with WHO, the United Nations system, or other international organizations in HIV or STI programme, policy, implementation, and/or technical support.
   

Skills

• Thorough knowledge of clinical and public health aspects of paediatric HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs treatment and care. 

• Ability to follow and evaluate global clinical and operational research and translate evidence into public health recommendations in the context of resource constrained settings. 

• Proven ability to develop and update critical policies and guidelines and to write in a clear and concise manner. 

• In-depth knowledge of clinical and behavioural approaches in EMTCT and early infant treatment, care and service delivery, and their integration into health care systems, preferably in low-income settings. 

• Ability to analyse, coordinate and communicate cohesive actions for the elaboration of policies and strategies, and planning. 

• Ability to promote and coordinate actions to ensure community engagement, respect of human rights and gender equity in the EMTCT response.

• Excellent partnership building skills, tact and diplomacy.
   

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork

• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

• Communication

• Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

• Moving forward in a changing environment
   

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French.
 

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 86,027 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 6000 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Staff members separated due to the 2025 Prioritization and Realignment Process will receive special consideration according to the applicable regulatory framework.

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an 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.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and eManual.

• The Director-General retains the discretion to not make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description, including shortening the duration of the appointment.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations (modifications or adjustments to the application or recruitment process) to support their participation in the application and recruitment process. Please send an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int with your full name, the vacancy number you are applying for, and specific details of the accommodation needed in your request.

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. 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.

• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Candidates appointed to a fixed-term position in the International Professional category (Grades P1-D2) are eligible for Geographical Mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

• WHO also offers a wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

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