WHO is recruiting national consultants to support emergency polio outbreak response in South Sudan
The World Health Organization (WHO) is recruiting external consultants to support the implementation of emergency response activities following a polio outbreak in South Sudan.
This opportunity falls under the broader efforts of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), which aims to interrupt poliovirus transmission, strengthen surveillance, improve outbreak response vaccination, and support routine immunization systems.
Position Details
Position title: Polio Outbreak Response / SIA Facilitators
Contract type: External consultant
Contract duration: 4 months
Duty station: Juba, South Sudan
Organization: WHO Country Office – South Sudan
Posting date: 27 April 2026
Application deadline: 5 May 2026
Vacancy reference: 2601474
Schedule: Full-time
Eligibility: Open only to nationals of South Sudan.
Background
South Sudan is responding to a public health emergency following the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1.
Laboratory results released in April 2026 confirmed positive poliovirus isolates among community contacts, close contacts, and a second acute flaccid paralysis case in the same county. These isolates were phylogenetically linked to the index case and classified as cVDPV1.
In this context, WHO has established technical surge support to strengthen outbreak response operations, including surveillance, vaccination campaigns, data management, field coordination, and support to national and subnational health authorities.
Key Responsibilities
The consultants will work under the guidance of the WHO Representative to South Sudan and under the supervision of the GPEI Coordinator and WHO Polio Team Lead.
Their main responsibilities will include:
- supporting surveillance and immunization activities in collaboration with health workers, the Ministry of Health, state health authorities, and WHO field teams;
- helping prioritize health facilities according to risk level and outpatient attendance;
- strengthening the quality, timeliness, and completeness of immunization and disease surveillance data;
- coordinating with IDSR focal points to ensure that all acute flaccid paralysis cases are investigated, validated, and followed up;
- supporting state EPI programme managers in reviewing recent supplementary immunization activities;
- documenting lessons learned and best practices from vaccination campaigns;
- developing coverage improvement interventions using post-campaign evaluation and LQAS data;
- supporting the implementation of campaign readiness monitoring at state and county levels;
- mentoring SIA workers and supporting skills development;
- supervising vaccination activities and reporting quality issues using digital tools such as ODK checklists;
- documenting best practices to improve campaign quality and coverage.
Required Profile
Education
Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health, Community Health, or another relevant health-related field from a recognized institution.
A Master’s Degree in Public Health or a related field would be an advantage.
Experience
Candidates must have at least three years of relevant experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating polio activities, vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, or supplementary immunization activities.
Experience working with Ministries of Health, subnational health authorities, WHO, humanitarian organizations, or outbreak response programmes will be highly valued.
Required Skills
Candidates should demonstrate:
- excellent written and spoken communication skills;
- strong knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools;
- good analytical skills;
- ability to work in complex and changing environments;
- capacity to multitask effectively;
- strong interpersonal and presentation skills;
- good understanding of EPI and surveillance systems at national, state, county, and community levels;
- experience in preparing quality field reports;
- proven ability to work successfully in similar field-based roles.
Languages
Excellent written and spoken English is required.
Knowledge of Arabic or one of the major languages or dialects spoken in South Sudan would be an asset.
Why This Opportunity Matters
This consultancy offers national professionals the opportunity to contribute directly to an urgent public health response in South Sudan.
The selected consultants will help strengthen polio surveillance, improve vaccination campaign quality, support rapid outbreak control, and contribute to global efforts to protect children from poliomyelitis.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply through the official WHO recruitment platform using vacancy reference 2601474.
Application deadline: 5 May 2026.
