Public Health Associate

October 3, 2025

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential LocationUNOPS LICA6

2025-09-16General Background and Operational Context

Ethiopia, located in the Horn of Africa, continues to face complex humanitarian challenges driven by internal conflict, climate-related shocks, and regional instability. As of 2025, the country hosts over 1 million refugees, primarily from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan, making it the second-largest refugee-hosting country in Africa

Concurrently, Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to climate change and displaced people and the communities hosting them are at the frontlines of the impacts of a changing climate. Recent studies have established that some of the most pressing consequences of the earth’s rising temperatures will be on human health and the global healthcare system. Displacement, health and climate are strongly interconnected, and this underscores the urgent need to strengthen the already overstretched health services in Ethiopia, while reducing the negative environmental impacts of the health sector and the wider humanitarian response. Amid this complexity, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a significant challenge due to the limited capacity to prevent and manage these types of conditions in the national and humanitarian health response. At present, donor financing for NCDs constitutes only 1-2% of the entire health portfolio in development assistance, and the humanitarian health response has also primarily prioritized lifesaving interventions related to communicable diseases and acute emergencies.

Despite these challenges, Ethiopia maintains an open-door policy for refugees and asylum seekers. However, the operational environment is marked by encampment-based refugee management, limited access to essential services, and significant public health needs. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan identifies 21.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 4.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)—with displacement driven by both conflict and climatic events such as droughts and floods

UNHCR’s multi-year strategy (2025–2029) emphasizes inclusion into national systems, climate action, and sustainable programming aligned with Ethiopia’s pledges under the Global Refugee Forum. Public health programming is a cornerstone of this strategy, aiming to strengthen access to primary health care, non-communicable disease (NCD) management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and nutrition services for both refugees and host communities.

Public Health Associate will play a critical role in supporting UNHCR’s strategic health objectives, ensuring that refugee populations have equitable access to quality health services, and contributing to the integration of refugee health needs into national health systems. UNHCR has the Global Mandate to assist governments to provide international Protection and find durable solutions for refugees in the world. UNHCR and partners, including relevant Ministries of Health ensure that those persons of concern have equal access to comprehensive primary health care and life saving medical services at same level as nationals. Health facilities and community health programmes are supported in refugees' settlements and host communities

Despite assistance, refugees continued to face financial barriers accessing PHC and hospital care in several countries, particularly urban refugees. A major focus of UNHCRs work is to enhance inclusion of refugees in national strategies, including health insurance schemes and social protection. There is a need to adopt a health system strengthening approach, work in collaboration and framework of the national authorities with technical support from WHO to ensure refugees inclusion in national response strategies.

In terms of durable solutions, Ethiopia is at an important crossroad with significant advancements being made at national and local levels to foster a policy environment conducive to the inclusion of refugees and a ‘solutions from the onset' approach to new emergencies, whereby national services, such as health, are being reinforced to cater to the needs of both refugees and members of the host communities alike. The momentum for support towards this transition process in Ethiopia is thus substantial and it is of key importance to deliver on the responsibility sharing, as outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees. Yet, at this stage the implications of the recently announced funding cuts by major government donors, affecting Ethiopia, the region at large as well as UNHCR’s operation and the entire humanitarian and development sector, remain to be determined

UNHCR is launching a new initiative to strengthen non-communicable disease (NCD) care for refugees and host communities in Ethiopia. In pursuit of durable solutions, UNHCR will partner with Novo Nordisk A/S (NNAS), the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF), and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) to address the growing burden of NCDs in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner.

This initiative will focus on: Integrating NCD prevention and care into Ethiopia’s national primary healthcare system. Addressing NCDs through a holistic approach that includes mental health and nutrition. Supporting the transition from parallel humanitarian health services to inclusive national systems. Promoting environmentally sustainable healthcare infrastructure and supply chains.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Public Health Associate is a member of a multidisciplinary team and will ensure that UNHCR's public health programmes meet minimum UNHCR and global health standards to minimize avoidable morbidity and mortality among populations of concern (POC) and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The primary purpose of this position is to provide technical support and leadership for the implementation of the project, ensuring coordination with partners and stakeholders. The role will also ensure alignment with national frameworks, UNHCR Ethiopia’s Multi-Year Strategy, and the rules and conditions of the project.

Standard Job Description

Public Health Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Public Health Associate is a member of a multidisciplinary team and contributes to ensuring that UNHCR's public health programmes meet minimum UNHCR and global health standards in order to minimise avoidable morbidity and mortality among forcibly displaced and stateless persons and towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Public health programmes include primary health care, secondary health care, sexual and reproductive health (including HIV), nutrition, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). The incumbent provides effective guidance and support to partners on UNHCR’s responses in public health.

S/he will contribute to advancing the concepts found in UNHCR’s Global Public Health Strategy as well as the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the mainstreaming/inclusion of refugees into national health programmes and systems.

The Public Health Associate is usually supervised by a more senior public health staff or in the absence thereof, by operations/programmes staff.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Assist the implementation of public health programmes with partners and health authorities in a multi-sectoral and coordinated manner.

• Assist efforts towards public health programming towards greater inclusion and access of refugees to national health systems.

• Participate in relevant coordination and collaboration structures as requested.

• Participate in emergency responses to new refugee influxes and disease outbreaks.

• Support gathering information for relevant assessments and identification of needs.

• Work closely with programme and other units as applicable in programme planning and monitoring.

• Support intersectoral collaboration throughout all stages of programme cycle between public health, and other sectoral areas to promote synergies and maximise impact.

• Assist in the use of the relevant UNHCR Health Information System suite of tools and surveys to support in analysis, interpretation, reporting and use of public health data.

• Assist in capacity strengthening of partners to ensure the technical integrity of public health programmes.

• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making is risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

• Perform other related duties as required.

For positions in country operations

• Assist in efforts to enhance the technical integrity of health care services and that they are based on Ministry of Health, UNHCR and/or internationally recognized and most up-to-date standards and policies.

• Assist in the process of preparing and processing medicine and medical supply orders with partners.

• Assist in ensuring community engagement and community participation in health programming.

• Monitor and support compliance with UNHCR Public Health Administrative Instruction/standard operating procedures.

For positions in regional bureaux

• Assist in the coordination of public health programmes across the regional bureau and with country operations including assimilation and documentation of better practice/lessons learnt for dissemination.

• Support effective collaborative approaches across the departments in the bureaux and with HQ.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education

Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Medicine; Nursing; Public Health; Epidemiology;

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Experience in public health programming as well as understanding of health systems and health system building blocks. Experience with data collection and analysis in position(s) where the ability to draft clear, concise documentation was essential.

Desirable

Experience in public health emergency preparedness and response. Experience in humanitarian settings. Experience with coordination and stakeholder engagement to achieve public health goals. Experience with health information systems. Experience with the provision of quality-assured medicines and medical supplies.

Functional Skills

PM-Project monitoring and evaluation

PH-Public Health Epidemiology

MD- HIV/AIDS situation management

MD-Reproductive Health

PH-Community Health - Health Data Collection/Analysis/Interpretation

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Cross-Functional Competencies

Planning & Organizing

Stakeholder Management

Technological Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

MD-HIV/AIDS situation management, MD-Reproductive Health, PH-Community Health-Health Data Collection/Analysis/Interpretation, PH- Public Health Epidemiology, PM-Project monitoring and evaluation

Education

Certifications

Epidemiology - Other, Medicine - Other, Nursing - Other, Public Health - Other

Other information

Position is open to ONLY Ethiopian nationals
Women are strongly encouraged to apply in order to promote gender balance within UNHCR.
Applicants may be subjected to an assessment (written or oral interview).This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No