OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The overall objective of the Communications Unit is to lead and coordinate WHO/AFRO'S efforts to advocate for resources and actions on key health issues in the African Region and showcase the impact of its work on health outcomes, securing the organization's position as the regional health leader and facilitating its ability to shape health policies. The unit also manages the internal communications function to create an optimal work environment reinforcing the common purpose of staff members. The unit achieves this by leading advocacy campaigns on health issues and implementing a Regional Communications Strategy, which targets key stakeholders including partners and Governing Bodies, using multiple channels, and building the communications capacity of WHO Clusters, Programmes and Country Offices to produce and disseminate quality communications products. The goal is to contribute to the strengthening of the capacity of countries in the WHO African Region to ensure evidence-based policies and strategies are in place to achieve universal access to high-quality, integrated, people-centered health services, increase the coverage and quality of effective interventions, and to create mechanisms to measure the impact of those strategies and interventions.In 2020, WHO AFRO created the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), a WHO hosted Network that includes governmental and intergovernmental operational agencies as well as non-State actors/entities mobilised to respond to the COVID-19 Infodemic, to share safe, proven facts on health and to counter dangerous health misinformation. The AIRA Secretariat is housed at WHO under the Communications Unit.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent will be expected to perform the following duties:

• Guide and coordinate the infodemic response team at AFRO and ensure timely outputs of deliverables.
• Guide the development of innovative, impactful and regular content for Viral Facts, the public facing brand of the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance.
• Develop a strategy and workflow for a sustainable response to infodemics.
• Identify funding opportunities and work on resource mobilization and funding proposals.
• Build partnerships with key stakeholders, donors, media partners.
• Lead the development of an infodemic management response system in priority countries.
• Chair the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance meetings and represent WHO AFRO in meetings on infodemic management.
• Prepare regular reports on infodemic response activities to the COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team on the efficacy of infodemic management campaigns and interventions.
• Provide regular reports to key donors on infodemic response activities

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Post graduate degree in communications, humanities, or another relevant field.

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of seven years of communications experience with at least three years of experience in crisis communications or misinformation risk analysis.
• Experience with international organizations

Skills

• A proven track record of working on misinformation management.
• Thorough knowledge of the principles, techniques and practices of online dissemination of information, via social media mechanisms and the web.
• Thorough understanding of the impact of communications on the reputation, image, and success of an organization, as well as the role the web and social media has in this regard.

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French.

Source:https://careers.who.int/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=2103368&tz=GMT%2B05%3A30&tzname=Asia%2FCalcutta