Background
Climate change is now recognized as one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, and protecting health from its impacts is an emerging priority for the public health community. The potential range and magnitude of associated health risks should be central to the rationale for actions to mitigate the occurrence of climate change and to adapt to effects that are already happening.
Recent years have been very important for the health community in addressing climate change. As of today, a total of 105 countries have committed at the Minister of Health level to strengthen climate resilience and lower the emissions of health systems as members of the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH). The summary of countries and their commitments can be found here. In addition, the GPW14 prioritises responding to climate change as the first of its six strategic objectives.
In 2023, the first-ever Health Day was held at COP28, and 149 countries signed the Declaration on Climate and Health and in 2025 at COP30 over 30 countries endorsed the Belem Health Action Plan. Both these critical commitments, and other climate change and health commitments, specifically include strengthening climate-informed health surveillance as a key priority.
WHO MS and ATACH country members have consistently identified capacity building for climate change and health as a priority need. Module 1 of the WHO Academy programme on Climate Change and Health was launched in December 2023 and four further modules are under development.
The CAE unit’s capacity building and country support team is seeking a consultant to work with the WHO Academy Learning Designer to finalise the WHO Academy online course, develop a support package for NDCs and finalise the guidance on action planning for low carbon health systems.
Purpose
To contribute to the development of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Climate Change and Health WHO Academy online training programme and other capacity building activities in the Climate, Air Quality, Energy and Health Unit.
Deliverables
Deliverable 1: WHO Academy Climate change and health programme. Develop and finalize the WHO Academy CCH online training programme by:
- Provide recommendations to the WHO Academy Learning Designer to translate existing training content into an online module storyboard; and
- Ensuring technical accuracy of the content.
- Output: WHO Academy Climate Change and Health programme published.
Deliverable 2:NDC Support Package. Develop a structured support package for countries to guide development and implementation of healthy NDCs, including through Climate Promise, the coordinated UN initiative, by:
- Review existing NDC support packages by other agencies;
- Draft a summary of WHO’s support; and
- Draft visual guide and tools (eg. Infographic, PowerPoint slides etc) to communicate the package.
- Output: NDC support package visual guide and related tools.
Deliverable 3: Technical Review, Consolidation and Publication Preparation of the Guidance on Action Planning for Low-Carbon Health Systems, including:
- Draft and integrate remaining content required to complete the guidance;
- Prepare consultation materials and maintain a consolidated record of comments received through WHO-managed internal review processes;
- Analyze and consolidate reviewer comments;
- Draft revisions and additional content required to address review comments;
- Provide technical comments on edited and designed versions of the draft guidance
- Output: Final published guidance.
Deliverable 4: Health in NAPs and HNAPs assessment. Update the 2025 global review of national adaptation plans and health national adaptation plans.
- Review and update indicators and data collection sheet
- Conduct document assessment and results analysis
- Draft report
- Prepare consultation materials and maintain a consolidated record of comments received through WHO-managed internal review processes;
- Analyze and consolidate reviewer comments;
- Draft revisions and additional content required to address review comments;
- Provide technical comments on edited and designed versions of the draft guidance
- Output: Published global review.
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential: Advanced university degree in Public Health, Environmental health, epidemiology, or related fields
Experience
Essential:
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in public and/or environmental health, epidemiology or climate change work.
- Experience in developing training and/or capacity-building materials for environmental health or climate change and health.
- Experience in working in international settings with staff from various geographical regions.
Desirable:
- Experience in climate change and health, including at country level.
- Experience in learning design in public health or other relevant field.
- Experience in working in international settings with staff from various geographical regions.
Skills/Knowledge:
- Excellent interpersonal, collaborative, and communication skills.
- Excellent written communication skills.
Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):
Essential: English: Expert.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French or other UN languages.
Location
Off site.
Travel
No travel is expected for this role.
Remuneration and budget
emuneration: Pay band B - Remuneration currency in USD - USD 7,000 to 9,980 per month
Expected duration of contract
11 months
Contact & application process
If you are interested, please send your CV and cover letter by 2 October 2026 to WHO's climate change, air quality, energy and health team ( savagea@who.int) and add "Consultancy WHO Academy and Capacity Building" to the email's subject.
Further questions about this call can be directed using the above contact email address.