Public Health Law Expert

Organizational Context

The World Health Organization (WHO), established in 1948, is the UN's specialized agency for health, aiming for the highest possible level of health for all. It leads on health issues, sets standards, develops policies, and provides technical support. Within the Health Systems and Services Cluster, the Health Financing and Governance Team supports Member States in Africa to generate evidence for legal reforms, particularly for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and strengthens health systems. The team is expanding its UHC legal reform activities from 2026.

Job Purpose

The WHO's mandate is to promote health, ensure global safety, and serve vulnerable populations. The Health Financing and Governance Team, under the Health Systems and Services Cluster, offers technical support in health governance, strategic planning, economic evaluation, and legal frameworks to strengthen health systems. The team assists Member States in the African Region by generating evidence to advocate for necessary legal reforms, informing planning, and tracking progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). An assessment of UHC laws in AFRO countries has been conducted to guide targeted support. From 2026, the team will expand its UHC legal reform portfolio. The Public Health UN Volunteer will provide crucial in-house legal expertise and analytical support to fulfill country and donor commitments.

Responsibilities

Under supervision, the UN Volunteer will provide in-house legal analysis for health law and UHC legal reform across Member States. This includes reviewing and analyzing health-related legislation, identifying gaps, and maintaining a repository of UHC-related legal materials. The volunteer will coordinate the validation of legal country profiles, engage with parliamentarians, and produce final reports for publication. Key duties involve providing legal input into country-level processes like health sector reviews, policy dialogue, and regulatory reform, as well as supporting country engagement on stewardship and regulatory work. The role also entails drafting and disseminating legal briefs, policy briefs, and technical notes on health governance and UHC legal reform. The volunteer will contribute to internal technical reviews, document UHC-related laws, analyze country validation methodologies, and support team reporting to donors. Furthermore, the volunteer will assist in organizing technical meetings, working groups, and capacity-strengthening events, contribute to capacity-building design, and coordinate with country offices and partners on joint governance activities.

Work Experience

At least 5 years of professional experience at national or international level in health law, legal aspects of health systems, or legislative drafting/reform is required, with a strong preference for experience in UHC or health systems legal frameworks. The role demands strong research, analytical, and policy-writing skills, including the ability to summarize complex technical material concisely. Demonstrated experience in project coordination, multi-stakeholder engagement, and donor/partner reporting is essential. Familiarity with international and national legal frameworks for health, such as the right to health, UHC, and health insurance regulations, is also required.

Skills

Required competencies include Accountability, Adaptability and flexibility, Producing results, Communication, Teamwork, Professionalism, Self-management, and Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences. Technical skills encompass strong research, analytical, and policy-writing abilities, solid overall computer literacy (MS Office, email/internet), and familiarity with database management. Expertise areas include Legal affairs, Health, and Administration.

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