Health Specialist (Vaccine Preventable Disease Control)
Organizational Context
UNICEF works in over 190 countries to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. Committed to promoting the rights of every child, UNICEF offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development, reinforcing a sense of purpose while serving children and communities globally. It's a place where careers are built, fostering a passionate culture.
Job Purpose
The Health Specialist reports to the Senior Adviser Health, Accelerated disease control, working within the scope of partnerships like the Measles and Rubella Partnership (M&RP), Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) by 2026, and Defeating Meningitis by 2030. The primary purpose is to strengthen immunization delivery in priority countries by providing technical assistance to country offices. This includes promoting, designing, planning, executing, monitoring, and evaluating high-quality Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) and Outbreak Response Immunization for Measles, Rubella, Yellow Fever, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, with a focus on preventive and outbreak response campaigns. The incumbent will also develop a monitoring framework to measure the impact of these activities on vaccination coverage, particularly in underserved populations, and support post-campaign coverage surveys through advocacy and technical assistance.
Responsibilities
The Health Specialist provides technical assistance for disease elimination and control, focusing on strengthening immunization delivery in priority countries. This includes promoting, designing, planning, executing, monitoring, and evaluating high-quality Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) and Outbreak Response Immunization for diseases like Measles, Rubella, and Yellow Fever. A key responsibility is developing a monitoring framework to measure the impact of these activities on vaccination coverage, especially in underserved populations, and supporting post-campaign coverage surveys through advocacy and technical assistance. The role also involves documenting best practices and challenges during campaigns. Furthermore, the incumbent coordinates efforts to strengthen country-specific health systems, ensuring sustainable and equitable intervention coverage and disease response aligned with UNICEF’s Health Strategic Plan and SDG 2030 targets. This encompasses strengthening policy, finance, institution building, health workforce, digital governance, and community engagement. The specialist also contributes to UNICEF’s emergency preparedness and response, aligning with Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action and Public Health Emergencies, by engaging in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of relevant activities to build community and system resilience. Specific duties include technical assistance for disease elimination and control, outbreak preparedness and response, and regional coordination and partner engagement.
Work Experience
Not specified in the provided content.
Skills
Immunization program management, Technical assistance, Monitoring and evaluation, Data analysis, Advocacy, Health systems strengthening, Emergency preparedness and response, Partnership coordination, Policy development, Program design and planning, Outbreak response, Documentation of best practices