Internship - Priority Medical Devices - HQ/MHP

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of the WHO Health Products Policy and Standards Department is to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and better health care delivery in support to Universal Health Coverage, emergencies and outbreaks and wellbeing. The “Medical Devices and in vitro Diagnostics” (MDD) Team is one of eight teams in the Health Products Policy and Standards Department: Access to Medicines and Health Products Division. The objective of the team is to assure the selection, naming, availability, affordability, quality, safety, and appropriate use of priority medical devices through the development and establishment of global policies, norms and standards and guidance documents for technical assistance to WHO Member States. MDD is the team responsible for the development of the WHO model list of Essential in vitro Diagnostics and Priority Medical Devices List. MDD is also responsible to address the mandates related to medical devices by the WHA60.29, WHA72.8, WHA67.20, WHA67.23 and decision WHA75(25) and to the WHA76.5 on Strengthening Diagnostics capacity, among other tasks.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Terms of reference

Under the supervision of the MDD Team Lead, the intern will be responsible for supporting MDD team in a variety of workstreams, including but not limited to:

• To review the Global atlas of medical devices 2022 and produce a) a database with the countries that have a national list of medical devices, b) when available, review the national list to verify if they use the EMDN or GMDN nomenclature, and c) review the hyperlinks available in the atlas and identify those that are no longer valid/functional.
• Support the work of the WHO Diagnostics Taskforce secretariat; including organizing remote meetings, preparing draft agendas and presentation slides, drafting minutes, disseminating relevant documents among the members of the taskforce, and follow up with meetings participants.
• Undertake the analysis of the WHA resolutions on medical devices (WHA60.29, WHA72.8, WHA67.20, WHA67.23, decision WHA75(25) and WHA76.5) and the topics for implementation to provide input to the agenda of the 5th WHO Global Forum on medical devices.
• Be part of the organizing committee of the 5th WHO Global Forum of Medical Devices to support the organization of the sessions, provide information to STAG MEDEV, SAGE IVD and regional advisers, drafting the program, and verify balanced representation of LMICs, gender and expertise for every topic.
• Summarize the presentations and discussions of each session and produce draft zero of the 5th WHO Global Forum of Medical Devices.
• Contribute to drafting a paper, including the country findings on the different topics of medical devices including innovation, regulation, assessment, management, nomenclature.

Additional information can be found at:

https://www.who.int/health-topics/medical-devices#tab=tab_1
https://www.who.int/health-topics/in-vitro-diagnostics#tab=tab_1
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2025/06/10/default-calendar/fifth-who-global-forum-on-medical-devices

Learning objectives

The purpose of the WHO Internship Programme is to provide an enriching learning experience for students and recent graduates. The Learning Objectives outlined within each internship vacancy are a key component of the programme. Within this internship, the intern will:

• Gain understanding of the role of MDD team in improving access to medical devices, including in vitro diagnostics at country level.
• Develop knowledge of current trends and challenges in the medical devices space, as well as evidence-based approaches to address them.
• Enhance skills in data collection, analysis, and reporting, including drafting papers for peer-reviewed publications.
• Gain understanding about the collaborative work between WHO HQ teams/programs, the regional offices, and the country offices in their efforts to support Member States with their requests.
• Be exposed to, and have the opportunity to apply the ways of working in an international organization context
• Gain experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Build professional networks inside WHO and with external stakeholders.

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

24 weeks - tentative start date 14 April 2025

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Have completed the equivalent of three years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment; AND be enrolled in a course of study of Biomedical engineering or a related field at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills

• Research: ability to conduct literature reviews, analyze data, and synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Analytical: ability to analyze data and information to identify patterns and draw insights.
• Communication: ability to communicate effectively and clearly in writing and verbally, including preparing presentations and reports.
• Organizational: ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, and to work effectively under tight deadlines.
• Interpersonal: ability to work collaboratively and effectively with diverse stakeholders, including colleagues, partners, and external consultants.
• Project management: ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects, and to track progress against milestones and deliverables.
• Critical thinking: ability to think critically and independently, and to identify and propose solutions to complex problems.
• Proficiency in English language, writing and speaking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.

In addition, all interns should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
• Producing and delivering quality results
• Working collaboratively with team members

Experience

• Demonstrated interest in medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, health technologies, medical equipment, and public health through academic and/or professional work.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize and communicate complex information.
• Experience with data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience in organizing meetings, workshops, events, including remotely via Zoom and MS Teams.
• Familiarity with MeDevIS and WHO model list of essential in vitro diagnostics

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Interns do not receive a salary. They do however receive a living allowance. The amount of living allowance is different in each duty station. The amount also depends on any other external financial support received by the intern (grant, scholarships, etc.) and whether their permanent residence is in the duty station of the internship. In Geneva, for interns with permanent residence in the duty station, the maximum amount of the allowance provided by WHO is 738 CHF per month. For interns whose permanent residence is outside of the duty station, the maximum amount is 1716 CHF per month. The exact amount of the living allowance will be calculated for each intern, after selection, based on a legal financial disclosure form that the individual will complete. In addition, all interns in Geneva will receive a daily lunch voucher for meal expenses (20 CHF per working day).
WHO also provides all interns with accident and medical insurance coverage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted
• Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship.
• If selected for a WHO Internship, candidates will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in an eligible course of studies, a completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work, and the contact details for reference checks.
• WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link:http://www.whed.net.Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put theWHO Values Charterinto practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to: reasonableaccommodation@who.int
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Department of Staff Health and Wellbeing (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.