Call for nominations
The WHO Regional Office for Africa is soliciting proposals for nominations for current vacancies on its Regional Emergency Preparedness and Response Technical Advisory Group (EPR-TAG). Nominations are required to be submitted no later than 31 August 2022. Nominations will be carefully reviewed by the EPR-TAG membership selection panel which will propose the selection of nominees for appointment to the WHO Regional Director for Africa.
EPR-TAG serves as the principal advisory group to the WHO Regional Office for Africa for strategic guidance on all matters pertaining to public health emergency preparedness and response. EPR-TAG reports directly to the WHO Regional Director for Africa and advises the Regional Director on overall regional mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery policies and strategies to include: regional/national public health preparedness and response coordination; preparedness planning; integrated disease surveillance and response; epidemiological investigation and analysis, laboratory investigation and analysis, public health interventions, risk communications and community engagement, etc.
All members are acknowledged experts with an outstanding record of achievement in their own field and an understanding of public health emergency issues covered by the EPR-TAG. They have a responsibility to provide WHO with high quality, well-considered advice and recommendations on matters described in the attached terms of reference.
EPR-TAG members will represent a range of professional affiliations (i.e. academia, medical profession, clinical practice, research institutes, governmental bodies, NGOs, private sector entities, philanthropic foundations); and major areas of expertise (e.g. influenza control, diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory diseases, research, biologics, virology, and pandemic-prone diseases, international disaster management).
Members will be selected on the basis of their qualifications, experience and ability to contribute to the accomplishment of the EPR-TAG objectives. Appointment of EPR-TAG members will be made by the WHO Regional Director for Africa upon the proposal of the selection panel. Members of the EPR-TAG are appointed to serve for an initial term of three years, renewable once. Consideration is given to ensuring appropriate geographical representation and gender balance.
EPR-TAG normally meets twice a year rotating between the WHO Regional Office in Brazzaville, Congo and a country in the region. In addition, members may be asked to contribute to EPR-TAG working groups, and will be fully engaged in the preparation of each meeting.
Please submit your nominations along with a letter of support by e-mail to eprtag [at] who.int (eprtag[at]who[dot]int). Self-nominations as well as nominations suggested by third party individuals or organizations will be accepted. Nominees will be asked to confirm their interest, availability and commitment to serve on EPR-TAG, to provide a curriculum vitae, a letter of motivation highlighting what their contribution to EPR-TAG could be, and a completed declaration of interests form before their nomination will be considered by the selection panel.
Please share this request with anyone who may be interested in nominating an individual to serve as a member of this Group.
Terms of reference
WHO’s African Member States face a broad range of emergencies resulting from various hazards and differing in scale, complexity and international consequences. These emergencies can have extensive political, economic, social and public health impacts, with potential long-term consequences sometimes persisting for years after the emergency. They may be caused by natural disasters, conflict, disease outbreaks, food contamination, or chemical or radio-nuclear spills, among other hazards. They can undermine decades of social development and hard-earned health gains, damage hospitals and other health infrastructure, weaken health systems and slow progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Preparing for and responding effectively to such emergencies are among the most pressing challenges facing the international community as can be witnessed by the current COVID-19 pandemic.