Background
Climate change is now recognized as one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, and protecting health from its impacts is an emerging priority for the public health community. The potential range and magnitude of associated health risks should be central to the rationale for actions to mitigate the occurrence of climate change and to adapt to effects that are already happening.
The evidence base on climate change and health has grown rapidly and has recently been summarized through the 6th Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Research has mainly concentrated on the identification, characterization, and quantification of the linkages between climate and health, with less focus on applied research to lessen associated health risks. Research output in the peer-reviewed literature is predominantly supply driven by researchers, rather than demand driven by policy makers. This results in weak or unbalanced coverage of the priority issues identified by governments or other decision-makers and misses the opportunity to increase engagement and co-ownership through the co-development of research agendas between the end-users and the producers of evidence.
To address these issues, a set of global research priorities in climate change and health shall be identified, and a new research agenda developed aiming to guide funders and decision makers of research in climate change and health for strengthening the evidence for international and national action on climate change and health.
Duties and responsibilities
WHO Climate Change and Health (CCH) team would like to engage with a consultant to contribute to the implementation of the following activities:
- Facilitate the preparation and implementation of the consultation processes with a wide range of experts and relevant stakeholders on research priorities (at regional and global levels) in climate change and health, including also identification and selection of participants, preparation of input documents, consultation meetings, design and analysis of online surveys and drafting of outcome reports.
- Prepare and implement a process on foresight in climate change and health research with experts and relevant stakeholders, including also identification and selection of participants, preparation of input documents, meetings and drafting of outcome reports.
- Draft the final modular research agenda (website and report).
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications
- Essential: Minimum first university degree in public health, environmental health, climate science, health research, environmental and earth sciences, biology, or equivalent.
- Desirable: Advanced university degree in public health, environmental health, climate science, health research, environmental and earth sciences, biology, or equivalent.
Experience
- Essential: 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in stakeholder consultations and research in public health, environment, climate change, and health, including environmental health, preferably at an international level.
- Desirable:
- Prior publications (thesis, reports, scientific articles, policy briefs, or similar) as author on topics related to climate change and health
- Previous work experience within WHO or another UN agency
- Experience in stakeholder consultations at international level
Skills/Knowledge
- Technical knowledge of health linkages with climate change, social and environmental determinants of health, One Health, Planetary Health, and with climate change mitigation and adaptation action.
- Excellent interpersonal, collaborative, and communication skills.
- Good writing skills in the preparation of technical and scientific reports, project briefs, peer-reviewed publications, etc.
- Ability to work in international settings with staff from various geographical regions.
- Knowledge of stakeholder consultation processes.
- Fundamental data analysis and data management skills.
Languages and level required
Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Knowledge of another WHO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).
Period
Period: 9 months (from January 2024)
Technical Supervision
The Climate Change and Health team.
If you are interested, please send your CV and a short cover letter highlighting your relevant experience by 1 December 2023 to climatehealth@who.int and add "Consultancy on research agenda" to the email's subject.