Communications & Digital Media Officer

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations Public Health Organization established in 1948. The objective of the World Health Organization shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
World Health Organization achieves its goals by performing its essential functions:
1. Take a leadership role in key health issues and create partnerships when joint action is needed;
2. Set research priorities and encourage the acquisition, application and dissemination of useful knowledge;
3. Setting standards and criteria and encouraging and monitoring them;
4. Develop ethical and evidence-based policies
5. Provide technical support, be an agent of change and build institutional capacity in a sustainable way;
6. Monitor health status and assess health trends.

The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region has embarked on a new Global Programme of Work (GPW13) and a new Programme Budget (2020 -2021). Through these two strategic documents, the region aims to deliver public health outcomes through an integrated results-based structure. The African Regional Office is comprised of health clusters, the overall objective the Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster is to provide leadership and ensure action in supporting Member States in reducing the impact of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases (CND) and contribute to attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the SDGs in the WHO African Region.

The Cluster is responsible for the following technical areas - HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis, including other Sexually Transmitted Infections; Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, including Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases; Non-Communicable diseases; and Vaccine Preventable Diseases. The Cluster provides leadership and vision to the above and related areas of work in the WHO African Region and facilitates planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of services in an integrated approach. The Cluster is responsible for joint actions with the ARD and UHC-LC Clusters to respond to the needs of the population through the integrated delivery of interventions and services for CNDs equitably across the life course, through strengthened health systems, and for response to outbreaks to vaccine-preventable and vector-borne diseases with the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Cluster. The Cluster also develops strategic partnerships, mobilizing capacities in the region in the pursuit of its objectives and contributes to cross-cluster resource mobilization in order to achieve universal coverage for significant improvement in health outcomes using Primary Health Care as a delivery vehicle.

The UCN Director's Office is responsible for developing, leading, monitoring and evaluating the work of the UHC-UCN Group and coordinating its action with WHO Headquarters, Clusters, and partner agencies and institutions.

In the context of WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW) and its triple-billion strategy, the UNV will support communications activities in the UCN Cluster working in the UCN Director’s Office. Key deliverables include: accurate and timely production and dissemination of high-quality public information products which highlight the work of the UCN Cluster WHO AFRO and partners, promoting achievements and results of key public health initiatives and building contacts with the press/media and key partners and optimizing networking opportunities.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UCN Strategic Analysis and Reporting Technical Officer and direct guidance of the UCN Cluster Director, the UN Volunteer will:

1. Identify subjects of interest to develop and improve media/communication activities within the UCN Cluster and support development of a communications plan for the UCN cluster, which works in synergy with the global and regional communications strategies.

2. Produce high quality public information materials such as Press Releases, social media plans, notes for the media, media advisories, talking points, social media posts and other material on WHO UCN activities, events, products and issues for use by the print, electronic and online media.

3. Support the development and implementation of the digital communication component of the UCN Communication Strategy.

4. Conceptualize, design, animate and produce video products – both short and long for varying audiences

5. Create compelling stories using animated and graphic visuals to engage digital audiences.

6. Collaborate with the Graphic Designer to design documents and materials to ensure they are visually appealing and true to the brand

7. Develop and generate communication, advocacy, and promotional materials, including explainers.

8. Monitor and collate digital media coverage and trends on the work of the UCN Cluster.

9. Maintain UCN Cluster digital media archives including photos and videos and support all UCN Programmes in digital communications archive management.

10. Organize photographic shoots and interviews and filming opportunities to support high visibility of WHO UCN achievements through television, radio and newspapers, etc. working closely with the AFRO/COM office.

11. Support the social media accounts of the UCN Cluster in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure consistency of approach. Critically review and improve contents, architecture and design.

12. Support the development and maintenance of the UCN Cluster contributions to the WHO AFRO website, in compliance with guidelines and standards used throughout the Organization, to ensure consistency of approach. Critically review and improve contents, architecture and design.

13. Research and write feature stories and messages, ideally bringing in a human element from real life experiences.

14. Collaborate with all relevant actors, including other WHO AFRO clusters, regional and field offices, other WHO departments, UN agencies, and other partners to identify and create communication opportunities and prepare communication campaigns on specific topics.

15. Perform any other communications related duties as required by the functional supervisor.


Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

● Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications
and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
● Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
● Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
● Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
● Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
● Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.