BVD Preparedness Officer

About this role

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking a UN Volunteer to serve as Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) Preparedness Officer in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The ongoing BVD outbreak in neighbouring countries poses a risk of importation into the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zanzibar's international airport, seaports and high population mobility increase vulnerability to cross-border transmission. WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health Zanzibar to strengthen preparedness across surveillance, laboratory readiness, infection prevention and control, case management, logistics, risk communication and community engagement, Points of Entry, continuity of essential health services, emergency coordination and rapid response. The UN Volunteer will provide technical and operational support for implementation of these preparedness activities under the direct supervision of the WHO EPR Team Lead and the WHO Liaison Officer for Zanzibar.

Core responsibilities include supporting implementation of the BVD preparedness workplan, organizing preparedness activities at national and district levels, and monitoring progress against preparedness plans while maintaining activity trackers, dashboards and documentation of lessons learned. The post-holder will assist implementation across all technical pillars, support field missions and simulation exercises, compile weekly and monthly preparedness updates and reports, and assist with Situation Report preparation. Additional duties involve supporting training workshops and orientations, coordinating technical meetings, preparing meeting minutes and action matrices, and following up on agreed action points. The post-holder may also be called upon to support preparedness for other public health emergencies as required.

Required qualifications include a minimum of three years of experience supporting disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness or emergency response, along with experience working with government health systems. Desirable qualifications include experience with WHO or UN agencies, familiarity with viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness such as Ebola, Marburg or BVD, and knowledge of IDSR, IHR (2005) and Public Health Emergency Management. Core competencies sought include planning and organizing, teamwork, communication, accountability, client orientation, learning and knowledge sharing, adaptability and flexibility, integrity and professionalism, respect for diversity, results orientation and technological awareness. This is