Lusaka
Contract
Senior Level
Master's Degree or Higher
Posted 15 days ago
Zambia faces a severe, heightened risk of Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease (EVD) crossborder transmission due to its porous borders and high population mobility with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). High transmission risks extend across informal trade routes, mining corridors, and heavy transit hubs in Luapula, North-Western, Muchinga, Copperbelt, Central Provinces, and Lusaka. Key populations—including women of reproductive age, pregnant women, IDPs, and refugees in vulnerable border settlements like Mantapala—face acute exposure. Without rapid infection control and continuous health service protection, a cross-border outbreak threatens to strain local infrastructure and cause a severe breakdown in essential health services.
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results
As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA plays a critical, life-saving role in public health emergencies and disease outbreaks like Ebola. Lessons from past outbreaks show that disease epidemics create a dual crisis: while the virus poses direct health threats, the collapse of routine healthcare, fear, and stigma often lead to an even sharper surge in preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. Furthermore, infectious disease outbreaks amplify gender inequalities, increase exposure risks for female primary caregivers/midwives, and elevate the risk of GenderBased Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
Globally and regionally (under the Level 3 Emergency framework), UNFPA’s operational role during Ebola crises focuses on five mandate-critical pillars:
Under the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) Grade 2 Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) framework and the “One Plan, One Budget” approach, UNFPA is supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) and ZNPHI to implement targeted preparedness interventions. Supported by the Emergency Fund (EF/HTF), UNFPA Zambia directly addresses mandate-specific gaps by integrating SRH, HIV, GBV, and PSEA into national public health structures across six high-risk provinces.
The objective of this individual national consultancy is to provide expert technical assistance to coordinate, execute, and monitor UNFPA’s emergency response and preparedness interventions under the Emergency Fund (EF/HTF) allocation. The consultant will facilitate the integration of SRH and GBV preparedness into ZNPHI structures, oversee frontline health worker capacity building, coordinate subnational SRH/GBV service mapping and referral pathway adaptations, and ensure functional PSEA mechanisms.
The consultant will work under the direct supervision of UNFPA Zambia and in close coordination with MoH, ZNPHI, DMMU, Gender Division, Zambia Police (VSU), Lifeline Childline, and civil society partners. The consultant will:
Duty Station: Lusaka, Zambia.
Travel: In-person attendance at PHEOC meetings in Lusaka and field monitoring travel to high-risk border districts/provinces (Luapula, North-Western, Muchinga, Copperbelt, Central) as required.
Output ⁻ All draft reports, datasets, training packages, adapted referral pathways, and final packages will be submitted electronically in editable MS Word/Excel formats and compliance-ready PDFs.
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
The consultant will provide bi-weekly progress updates to the UNFPA SRH/GBV leads and participate in Grade 2 PHEOC review meetings. Progress will be monitored against the timely completion of the 5 core deliverables and target coverage indicators (20,000 SRH and 60,000 GBV reached).
Supervised directly by the UNFPA Zambia SRHR Specialist, in collaboration with the technical team.
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
Apply using the following link: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2003/job/36127/?utm_medium=jobshare
