Project Officer (Emergency Health)

Bangladesh is amongst the most vulnerable worldwide to the impacts of climate change, both in terms of sudden onset hazards (cyclones, floods) and slower onset processes (droughts, heavy rainfall, coastal erosion, sea level rise). Different patterns of human mobility related to climate change have been reported across the region, including disaster risk management and evacuations, labour migration and urbanization in contexts of environmental degradation, and planned relocation processes.

In 2018, IOM started Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities in the host communities of Cox’s Bazar with the aim of providing multi-level DRR support for reducing disaster risks while achieving climate resilience and protection of vulnerable groups in times of disaster. Substantial structural and non-structural capacity building initiatives in disaster management, early warning and prevention have been implemented with different levels of Government authorities and local host communities in several districts and sub-districts of Cox’s Bazar. IOM will be implementing an 18-month project within host communities, focusing also on enhancing DRR social protection and support the development of coherent approaches in the Cox’s Bazar to address the challenges of Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Environment Protection and Resilience in the context of sudden-onset and slow-onset disasters, including by taking into consideration relevant recommendations from international frameworks, such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In response to Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Cox’s Bazar, IOM supports 38 health facilities in both the refugee camps and host communities. Skilled health workers and Community Health Workers are deployed to provide comprehensive primary and secondary health services. Delivery of essential health services, community-based health promotion, emergency preparedness and response, and integration of mental health and psychosocial support are among the key priorities of IOM health intervention.

The purpose of the assignment is to support strengthening implementation of IOM Cox Bazar’s emergency health preparedness and response interventions and health information management system. The role involves contributing to the planning, implementation, and monitoring of IOM's preparedness and response to public health emergencies, coordinating and operating disease surveillance activities at various levels, assisting in the enhancement of the health information system, providing regular status reports on conducted activities, and supporting the implementation of IOM standards and guidelines, while also assisting in operational research on diverse health interventions.

Under the direct supervision of Migration Health Officer, overall guidance and supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Emergency Health), and in close support with the National Programme Officer (Health Coordination), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

(1) Support the Migration Health Officer and National Programme Officers in monitoring and quality improvement in health operation of 38 health facilities.

(2) Support project development and reporting in relation to IOM health response in Cox’s Bazar.

(3) Contribute to the strategic planning, execution, and monitoring of IOM's prepared-ness and response to public health crises, encompassing challenges such as fire incidents, heavy monsoons, cyclones, and disease outbreaks.

(4) Assist in the coordination and implementation of disease surveillance initiatives at the community level, health facilities, and infectious disease treatment centers.

(5) Collaborate with the monitoring and evaluation team to strategize and implement improvements to the health information system, involving the upgrading of the system, development of data collection and analysis tools, as well as data cleaning and presentation.

(6) Generate weekly and monthly status reports on conducted activities, detailing achievements and challenges through established communication channels within the IOM Health unit; ensure thorough documentation of all health and related activities.

(7) Assist National Programme Officers and Health Coordinators in the application of various standards and guidelines developed or adopted by IOM, encompassing tri-age, emergency care, communicable and non-communicable disease guidelines, palliative care protocols, and more.

(8) Support the Migration Health Officer and National Programme Officers in conducting operational research on diverse health interventions, such as community health, palliative care, outbreak response, beneficiary satisfaction studies, and other relevant areas.

(9) Support National Programme Officers in planning and implementing emergency preparedness and response plan specially in relation to disasters (e.g. fire, cyclone and monsoon) and disease outbreaks.

(10) Support liaison with development partners, including JICA


Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• 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 in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• 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.