International Consultant – Antimicrobial Use (AMU), Access and/or Stewardship

The WHO South-East Asia Regional Office seeks qualified consultants to provide technical support to Member States in antimicrobial stewardship, access to quality-assured antimicrobials, antimicrobial use optimization, pharmaceutical governance, and One Health approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance. Consultants will support regional and country-level activities aligned with global and regional AMR action plans and WHO guidance.

Responsibilities

• Establish or strengthen antimicrobial use (AMU) surveillance systems including methods, protocols, data collection, analysis, reporting, dashboards, multisectoral integration, and technical recommendations.
• Develop and implement antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies, programmes, tools and quality-improvement measures including AWaRe implementation and interventions to improve prescribing practices.
• Assess antimicrobial availability, affordability, accessibility, quality, shortages, procurement and supply-chain systems and develop strategies to improve access, prevent stockouts, strengthen supply security, and ensure equitable access to essential antibiotics.
• Review antimicrobial regulatory and policy frameworks, assess prescribing, dispensing, sales and marketing practices, and support stronger regulations, quality assurance, licensing, prescription-only policies and implementation recommendations.
• Support One Health approaches to optimize antimicrobial use across human, animal, food production and environmental sectors including multisectoral coordination, integrated monitoring, consultations, and implementation of responsible-use strategies and action plans.
• Develop and deliver AMS/AMU training, mentoring, awareness and behaviour-change activities, and strengthen institutional capacity for stewardship, surveillance, regulation and access programmes.
• Monitor and evaluate AMS, AMU, access and governance programmes including indicators, reporting systems, performance reviews, lessons learned and recommendations for strengthening and sustainability.
• Develop technical guidance, reports, evidence summaries, research and knowledge products to support policy, investment, implementation and dissemination.

Requirements

• For Band level B: A first university degree or medical degree in Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Clinical and/or Infectious Disease Pharmacology, Epidemiology, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Policy and Management, Health Systems Strengthening, One Health, or related disciplines.
• For Band level C: An advanced university degree or medical degree with postgraduate specialization in one of the fields listed above or another relevant field.
• Desirable: Doctoral degree.
• Desirable: Board certification or postgraduate specialization relevant to the technical profile.
• Desirable: Professional certification related to AMS, public health, epidemiology, health systems, medicines regulation, pharmaceutical policy, or monitoring and evaluation.
• For Band level B: At least five years of progressively responsible experience in one or more of the advertised technical profiles.
• Experience supporting AMS programmes, antimicrobial use monitoring, pharmaceutical systems, policy development, surveillance, or public health programmes.
• For Band level C: At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in one or more of the advertised technical profiles.
• Demonstrated expertise in antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial use surveillance, pharmaceutical governance, access to medicines, regulatory strengthening, policy development, or One Health implementation.
• Desirable: Experience supporting programmes in low- and middle-income countries.
• Desirable: Experience in WHO South-East Asia Region Member States.
• Desirable: Experience working with WHO, UN agencies, governments, development partners, professional societies, academic institutions, or medicines regulatory authorities.
• Desirable: Experience facilitating multidisciplinary and multisectoral initiatives.
• Desirable: Publication record in peer-reviewed journals or technical guidance documents.
• Essential: Expertise in one or more of the advertised technical profiles.
• Essential: Knowledge of WHO AWaRe classification and implementation approaches.
• Essential: Knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship and rational use of medicines.
• Essential: Knowledge of pharmaceutical systems and medicines regulation.
• Essential: Experience with antimicrobial use and consumption monitoring.
• Essential: Ability to apply WHO standards, methods, and tools.
• Essential: Strong analytical, technical writing, and communication skills.
• Essential: Ability to analyse complex information and develop practical recommendations.
• Essential: Experience facilitating stakeholder consultations and technical discussions.
• Desirable: Experience in behavioural science and behaviour change interventions.
• Desirable: Knowledge of digital health solutions and data analytics.
• Desirable: Knowledge of forecasting, quantification, and supply chain management.
• Desirable: Experience in training, facilitation, mentoring, and adult learning approaches.
• Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
• Desirable: Intermediate or expert knowledge of another official United Nations language or a language used in a WHO South-East Asia Region Member State, where relevant to the assignment.

Skills

• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Antimicrobial Use Monitoring
• Pharmaceutical Systems
• Policy Development
• Surveillance
• Public Health Programs
• Antimicrobial Use (AMU) Surveillance
• Pharmaceutical Governance
• Access to Medicines
• Regulatory Strengthening
• One Health Programme Implementation
• WHO AWaRe Classification
• Rational Use of Medicines
• Medicines regulation
• WHO Standards Application
• Technical Writing
• Multi-Stakeholder Consultation
• Technical Discussions
• Analytical Skills
• Behavior Change Interventions
• Digital Health Systems
• Data Analytics
• Forecasting
• Quantification
• Supply Chain Management
• Training Facilitation
• Adult Learning Methodologies

Languages

English