National Consultant (NCD Risk Factors Reduction)

Position details

• Vacancy number: 2603820
• Grade: No grade
• Contractual arrangement: External consultant
• Contract duration: 2.5 months
• Organization: SE_MMR WR Office, Myanmar
• Schedule: Part-time
• Closing date: Sep 17, 2026, 4:59:00 PM

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Area of expertise

National Consultant – NCD Dietary Risk Factor Regulation

 

Purpose of consultancy  

The “National Consultant” is recruited to review policies and regulations related to dietary risk factors and NCD prevention, identify gaps, and support advocacy and policy reform in Myanmar.

 

Background

Myanmar is facing a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), driven in part by gaps in healthy dietary practices and physical activity. Data from the Myanmar STEPS Survey 2024 indicate that approximately 23.2% of adults have three or more combined NCD risk factors, an increase from 19.6% in 2014. This trend is particularly concerning among the working-age population, with the prevalence of risk factors increasing substantially with age.

 

An unhealthy food environment is a major contributor to these health outcomes. According to the survey, 92.9% of the population do not meet the WHO recommendation of consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Dietary sodium intake also remains high, with 18.3% of adults regularly adding salt to food and 31.2% habitually adding salt during home cooking. Overweight and obesity have increased to 26.8%, compared with 22.4% a decade ago. The resulting metabolic burden is also substantial. Hypertension prevalence has reached 24.4%, while diabetes has increased to 7.9% from 5.9% in 2014. Furthermore, 13.4% of adults aged 40–69 years are at high risk of a major cardiovascular event or are already living with cardiovascular disease.

 

To address these challenges, WHO Myanmar proposes to support a comprehensive review of policies and regulations related to dietary risk factors, including salt, sugar, trans-fat, food labelling, sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation, and the marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods. The initiative will include policy and regulatory gap analysis through desk reviews and stakeholder consultations; development of tailored advocacy materials to engage policymakers and regulators; and multisectoral stakeholder workshops to discuss policy gaps, international best practices, and regulatory options. The initiative will also support the development of a roadmap or action plan for policy and regulatory reform.

 

By supporting evidence-based policy and regulatory changes, this initiative aims to create a more supportive food environment, enable healthier choices, reduce dietary risk factors, and contribute to reducing the growing burden of NCDs in Myanmar.

 

Deliverables

Under the overall guidance and oversight of the Responsible Officer, the national consultant will support WHO Myanmar in conducting a comprehensive review of existing policies and regulations related to dietary risk factors; developing an evidence-based advocacy package; and facilitating stakeholder consultations and multisectoral workshops to support policy and regulatory improvements for NCD prevention and healthier food environments in Myanmar.

 

Output 1 - Develop the desk review methodology, assessment tools, and workplan for reviewing national laws, policies, strategies, and guidelines related to dietary risk factors, tailored to the Myanmar context.

 

Expected Delivery Date – Due by the end of every month

Output 2- Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing national laws, policies, strategies, and guidelines related to dietary risk factors, including salt, sugar, trans-fat, food labelling, SSB taxation, and the marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods. Review relevant WHO recommendations and international best practices and prepare a Policy and Regulatory Gap Analysis Report identifying strengths, gaps, and priority areas for improvement.

 

Expected Delivery Date – Due by the end of every month

Output 3 - Develop a tailored Advocacy Package, including policy briefs, factsheets, infographics, presentations, and a stakeholder engagement plan. Conduct technical consultations and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to validate the advocacy package and identify priority policy and regulatory actions.

 

Expected Delivery Date – Due by the end of every month

Output 4 - Identify and engage relevant ministries, and key stakeholders, and facilitate a national multisectoral stakeholder workshop and discussions on the NCD burden, dietary risk factors, policy gaps, international best practices, and proposed policy and regulatory options. Document key recommendations and agreed next steps.

 

Expected Delivery Date – Due by the end of every month

Output 5 - Support the development of a Roadmap or Action Plan for Policy and Regulatory Reform on dietary risk factors, incorporating recommendations and agreed priorities from the policy review, consultations, and stakeholder workshop. Submit the final consolidated report, including workshop outcomes, recommendations, and proposed next steps.

 

Expected Delivery Date – Due by the end of every month

*Note: Expected delivery dates are indicative and subject to adjustment based on the actual contract signing and start date.

The consultant shall treat all information and documents received or generated during the assignment as strictly confidential and shall not disclose or share such information with any third party without prior authorization from WHO.

 

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential:

Minimum first university degree in public health, nutrition, medicine, health sciences, or other relevant fields.

Desirable:

Master's or advanced degree in public health, nutrition, health policy, health systems, NCDs, or related fields. Specialized training in nutrition policy, NCD prevention, dietary risk factors, health promotion, or policy analysis will be an asset.

 

Experience

Essential:

5 to 10 years of relevant professional experience in public health, nutrition, NCD prevention and control, health policy, policy and regulatory analysis, or related areas.

Desirable:

Experience in reviewing policies and regulations related to dietary risk factors, conducting policy gap analyses, developing advocacy materials, and facilitating multisectoral consultations and workshops. Previous experience working with WHO, UN agencies, government institutions, or international development partners will be an asset.

 

Skills/Knowledge

Good understanding of NCD prevention, nutrition, dietary risk factors, and related policies.

Knowledge of WHO recommendations and international best practices.

Strong skills in policy analysis, report writing, and advocacy.

Good communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Strong analytical, organizational, and coordination skills.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office and information management.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and work effectively in multicultural environments.

 

Languages and level required

Excellence knowledge of English.

Excellence knowledge of Myanmar

 

Location:

On site: WHO Country Office, Yangon, Myanmar

 

Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel, including for taking up assignment.

Travel arrangements will be based on the country’s needs and the specific requirements of the TOR, as agreed upon by the WHO Representative (WR). Expected travel dates are indicative and subject to adjustment.

 

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration: (NO-B) level – “USD 165 per day for 20 working days. Total remuneration is USD 3,300.

 

Living expenses

No applicable

 

Expected duration of contract

20 working days within the period 1 October 2026 to 15 December 2026.

 

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.

The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce 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.

The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. 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 for WHO jobs.

Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to  reasonableaccommodation@who.int

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 (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) 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 short-listed candidates.

WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.

WHO shall have no responsibility 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 each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.

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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This assignment is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station/assignment location.