Epidemiologist
Organizational Context
The World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme aims to assist countries and coordinate international actions to prevent, prepare for, detect, respond to, and recover from health emergencies. This role, situated within the WHO Representative's Office in Libya, contributes to these critical public health efforts.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this role is to provide essential technical support for public health surveillance and emergency response in Libya. The incumbent will assist in developing and implementing systems for detecting, verifying, and responding to public health incidents, ensuring efficient data management and timely reporting. This includes analyzing outbreak data, supporting rapid response teams, building national capacities in line with International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), and contributing to preparedness and contingency planning. The role is crucial for strengthening the country's ability to manage and mitigate public health threats, thereby protecting the population's health and well-being.
Responsibilities
Provide technical support for developing and implementing public health surveillance and monitoring systems for incident detection, verification, and response. Ensure efficient data collection, correlation, analysis, interpretation, and timely reporting at health facility and district levels. Collate and verify outbreak data, conduct retrospective analysis to identify trends and patterns, and assess verification mechanisms. Brief teams on data quality improvement, trend monitoring, and alert thresholds. Offer technical assistance for establishing and maintaining Rapid Response Teams and Public Health Management Committees. Contribute to building national surveillance, alert, and response capacities aligned with IHR 2005, including training and supervision of staff. Support the development of early warning systems for epidemic-prone diseases and conduct field investigations. Provide technical support for vulnerability assessments, risk mapping, and preparedness planning. Maintain an incident management system database and document verification and response processes. Facilitate surveillance review meetings and monitor performance indicators. Evaluate the implementation of surveillance activities and response capacities. Prepare and disseminate outbreak news, technical documents, and assessments to decision-makers and national health authorities. Perform other incident-specific duties as assigned.
Work Experience
Essential: A minimum of five years of related experience at national and international levels in public health surveillance, outbreak investigation, and response. Previous experience implementing Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is mandatory. Desirable: Experience in developing countries, collaboration with multiple public health surveillance actors, and prior humanitarian field experience with WHO/UN or recognized humanitarian organizations in disaster and outbreak response.
Skills
Proficiency in database management and statistical analysis. Skills in secondary data review, survey design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation systems. Expertise in public health information management. Ability to multitask in demanding environments. Strong knowledge of infectious disease control, epidemic preparedness and response, International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), event-based and indicator-based surveillance, and principles of public health in communicable disease surveillance. Expert knowledge of English and Arabic.