Call for Experts
Preventive Chemotherapy NTD
Regional Programme Advisory Group
WHO Regional Office for Africa is seeking experts to serve as members of the PC-NTD Regional Programme Advisory Group (RPAG) under the ESPEN initiative.
- Deadline30 Jun 202624:00 GMT+1
- Send toespenafro@who.int
- Members20–24seats available
- Term2 yearsrenewable once
The WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO-AFRO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Preventive Chemotherapy Neglected Tropical Diseases (PC-NTD) Regional Programme Advisory Group (RPAG). This Call for Experts provides information about the advisory group, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
01 — Context
Background
Preventive Chemotherapy Neglected Tropical Diseases (PC-NTDs) remain a major public health challenge in the WHO African Region, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. These diseases contribute to long-term disability, stigma, reduced productivity, and entrenched cycles of poverty.
While significant progress has been made through large-scale mass drug administration, important gaps persist in programme coverage, surveillance, data use, and the long-term sustainability of interventions. Achieving the 2030 NTD Road Map targets will require stronger regional coordination, resilient health systems, and sustained political commitment.
Within this framework, the PC-NTD RPAG provides strategic, technical, and operational guidance to support national programmes in controlling, eliminating, and interrupting transmission of PC-NTDs. Operating under ESPEN, the RPAG helps steer regional efforts toward the 2030 targets by advising on policy, programme implementation, and priority actions needed to advance and sustain PC-NTD elimination in the African Region.
02 — Scope
The five PC-NTDs in focus
ESPEN supports Member States in tackling these five diseases through preventive chemotherapy and integrated programme delivery.
Lymphatic filariasis
Disabling parasitic infection transmitted by mosquitoes, causing chronic swelling of limbs.
Onchocerciasis
"River blindness" — caused by parasitic worms transmitted by blackflies near fast-flowing rivers.
Schistosomiasis
Acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms acquired through contact with infested freshwater.
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
Intestinal worm infections (roundworm, hookworm, whipworm) acquired through contact with contaminated soil.
Trachoma
Bacterial infection of the eye and leading infectious cause of blindness — preventable through SAFE strategy.
03 — Mandate
Functions of the PC-NTD RPAG
As an advisory body to WHO-AFRO through ESPEN, the RPAG will:
1
Review and make recommendations to WHO on overall progress towards regional and country-specific goals and milestones on NTD elimination.
2
Review and make recommendations to WHO on key technical issues on disease endemicity, morbidity, elimination strategies, monitoring, evaluation and learning.
3
Advise WHO-ESPEN on actions to improve responsiveness to regional policies and strategies required to achieve NTD targets and goals.
4
Provide independent evaluation of scientific and technical aspects of NTD mapping surveys and advise Member States through ESPEN.
5
Recommend opportunities for operational research to address implementation challenges.
6
Advise WHO-ESPEN on national advocacy and domestic resource mobilization strategies to enhance national ownership and programme sustainability.
04 — How it works
Operations of the Advisory Group
Frequency
The RPAG normally meets once each year. WHO-AFRO may convene additional meetings as needed.
Location
Meetings may be held in person at WHO-AFRO in Brazzaville, Congo, at another location, or virtually via videoconference.
Sessions
Meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation with WHO-AFRO.
05 — Profile sought
Who can express interest?
The RPAG will be composed of 20–24 members appointed by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, representing a wide range of PC-NTD expertise and ensuring geographical and linguistic diversity. Members serve two-year terms, renewable once, with staggered rotation to ensure continuity.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from experts with competencies and experience in PC-NTDs — including programme implementation, research, monitoring, evaluation, advocacy, and health systems relevant to lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and trachoma.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree in medicine, public health, epidemiology, or related field
- Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience
- Excellent proficiency in English, French, or Portuguese
Additional assets
- Publications or leadership experience in NTD programmes
- Experience with bilateral, multilateral, or NGO partners
- Proficiency in more than one official language
06 — Apply
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest, please submit the documents listed below by:
Deadline
until applications close
Expression of interest – PC-NTD Regional Programme Advisory Group (RPAG)Required documents
- Cover letter describing motivation and suitability
- Curriculum vitae (including nationality/ies)
- Signed WHO Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts — download form
07 — Important information
Selection process & conditions of appointment
Click each section below for full details on conflicts of interest, criteria, confidentiality, travel and remuneration.
Conflicts of interest & declarations
Members of WHO-AFRO Advisory Groups must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO-AFRO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO-AFRO's evaluation of an applicant's experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, commercial industries or entities, research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts.
AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
Selection criteria
The selection of members of the AGs will be made by WHO-AFRO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria:
- Relevant technical expertise
- Experience in international and country policy work
- Communication skills
- Ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations
The selection will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO-AFRO Secretariat to assess experience, expertise, and suitability.
Appointment & participation
If selected by WHO-AFRO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO-AFRO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO-AFRO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO-AFRO website.
Travel, remuneration & term
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise.
Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO-AFRO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
WHO-AFRO's discretion
WHO-AFRO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO-AFRO's action.
WHO-AFRO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing AG, or modify the work of the AG.
WHO-AFRO shall not be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.