job Description
Description of assignment title: Health and Climate Change Officer
Assignment country: Zimbabwe
Expected start date: 15/01/2025
Sustainable Development Goal: 13. Climate action
Volunteer category: International UN Volunteer Specialist
Mission and objectives:
WHO's Mission is of a world in which all peoples attain the highest possible level of health, and our mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable, with measurable impact for people at country level.
WHO leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage; directs and coordinates the world’s response to health emergencies. It also promotes healthier lives – from pregnancy care through old age. Our Triple Billion targets outline an ambitious plan for the world to achieve good health for all using science-based policies and programmes.
The mission of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme (“The Programme”) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.
Context;;
Zimbabwe has not been spared from the devastating impacts of climate change with heavy rainfalls, characterized by floods and cyclones as well as severe droughts. The recent Cyclones Idai and Freddy and extreme rainfalls have caused drownings, injuries, heart attacks, trauma and spread of infectious diseases. In 2019, Cyclone Idai affected more than 270 000 people, with over 350 people losing their lives. Infrastructure which includes clinics, was also destroyed.
During the 2008–2009 cholera epidemic, more than 4,287 people died in Zimbabwe as a result of polluted water and poor sanitation. Since 1987 Zimbabwe has experienced its six warmest years on record, and daily minimum and maximum temperatures have risen by approximately 2°C over the past century. The country has had to deal with recurrent droughts, decreased safe and destroyed biodiversity.
It is estimated that in Zimbabwe, climate change will cause average temperatures to rise by about 3°C before the end of this century if not mitigated. Annual rainfall could decline by between 5% and 18%, especially in the south. Rainfall will become more variable. There will be an increase in droughts, floods and storms. This will affect Zimbabwe’s food security, health, energy supply including the economy. It is therefore prudent that mitigatory measures
are planned and put in place.
Thus, Climate Resilience is one of the 14 Government priorities of the National Development Strategy (2021-2025) and Climate Change is recognised as a key contributor to public health emergencies in the National Health Strategy (2021-2025).
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