Technical Assistant - Sustainability of Health Systems with WHO

Mission and objectives

Founded in 1948, WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.

The Climate Change, Health, and Environment (EM/CHE) unit under the Department of Healthier Populations (EM/HPD) is responsible for developing and managing regional programmes for supporting Member States in their endeavour to protect human health from environmental risks including Climate Change The Climate Change and Health Programme provides leadership through a comprehensive health preparedness and response to climate change as follows: Guide Member States in implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation of regional and national strategies and programmes of Climate Change and Health; Lead technical activities on environmental health assessment, adaptation and mitigation measures for Climate Change & Health Programme in light of WHO Global and Regional strategies and Plans of Action, the WHO Global and Regional Programmes of Work and the SDG 2030 Agenda; and Promote low carbon, environmentally sustainable and climate resilient health sector response to Climate Change.

Context

This UNV assignment is part of the technical support package WHO/EMRO/ CHE provides to countries and will focus mainly on supporting member states in their efforts to achieve an environmentally sustainable, and low carbon health systems and facilities. This falls under the overall support provided to build climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems through WHO and its hosted network the Alliance on Transformative Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH). Through ATACH, a number of countries has committed to develop a sustainable and low caron or net-zero carbon health systems including supply chain and countries have been on the track to start or continuo their efforts to achieve that by investing more in renewable energy, water harvesting and saving technologies and many other measures recommended by WHO and other partners. In addition, many countries are now aiming to develop their own climate resilient and sustainable index for their health care facilities or to integrate climate resilience and sustainability aspects into the nationally existing ones.

Additional Information:

National UN Youth Volunteers in Jordan are entitled to:

• Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of JOD 881.33;

• Annual and learning leaves;

• Free Medical and life insurance; and

• Free access to different learning platforms.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the responsible officer, the National UN Youth Volunteer will provide support to:

• The implementation of COP26 and Alliance on transformative Action on Climate Change and Health (ATACH) commitments regarding building a sustainable and low carbon health systems. The tasks include the following:

- Assist with coordination with the nationally designated focal points, and the WHO country offices focal points.

- Assist with coordination with the WHO Headquarters (HQ) and the WHO Country Offices focal points to ensure timely delivery of technical support to the pilot projects in the countries.

•The developing, piloting, and finalizing national index on sustainable health care facilities and supply chains in a number of selected countries. The tasks include:

- Review the available tools and resources on the subject and map the essential requirements.

- Assist with coordination with nationally designated focal points for developing national criteria for the index.

- Follow up with national focal points and WHO country offices focal points on the ongoing projects and pilots on this regard.

- Follow up and provide input on all stages of developing the national index at each country as needed.

• Implementation of rehabilitation measures and improvements on health care facilities that aims to enhance sustainability and lower the carbon footprint.

• Building capacity of Member States on calculating the carbon footprint of health facilities and systems through trainings and engagement with pilot assessments.

• Health care facilities and systems transition to clean energy and their needs assessments.

• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.