National consultant for the preparation of National Guidelines for Abortion Care

National consultant for the preparation of National Guidelines for Abortion Care – (2502642)

Contractual Arrangement: External consultant

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 2 months

Job Posting

: Jul 7, 2025, 10:39:32 AM

Closing Date

: Jul 20, 2025, 9:59:00 PM

Primary Location

: Guinea-Bissau-Bissau

Organization

: AF_GNB Guinea Bissau

Schedule

: Full-time

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device’s system settings.

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Area of expertise

NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR THE PREPARATION OF NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR ABORTION CARE – Guinea-Bissau

Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of hiring the consultancy is to develop new national guidelines for pre-abortion, abortion and post-abortion clinical care and attention.

Specific Objectives

Support the international consultant in developing the following tasks:

• Conduct a review of global standards, guidelines and best practices, including those recommended by WHO, for clinical management and quality improvement of pre-abortion, during and after abortion health care;
• Review current national guidelines and develop recommendations regarding clinical services to be provided, including abortion methods (for different clinical indications) and related clinical care – from the provision of pre-abortion information, counselling and care and pain management to the provision of post-abortion care, including all methods of contraception, in accordance with WHO recommendations;
• Develop a proposal for improvements to the services and categories of health professionals who can provide the relevant clinical services;
• Submit the preliminary draft of the standards and protocol for clinical care in pre-abortion, abortion and post-abortion to the technical group for discussion and validation.

Background

Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is a fundamental human right. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having enjoyable and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion, discrimination and violence. However, the ability of men and women to achieve sexual health and well-being depends on access to comprehensive and good-quality information about sex and sexuality; knowledge of the risks they may face and their vulnerability to the adverse consequences of unprotected sexual activity; access to quality sexual health care; and living in an environment that proclaims and promotes sexual health.

Sexual health issues are broad and encompass sexual orientation and gender identity, relationships and pleasure. They also include negative consequences or conditions such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reproductive tract infections and their adverse outcomes such as cancer and infertility, unwanted pregnancy and abortion, sexual dysfunction, sexual violence and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation.

Unsafe abortion is a major but preventable cause of maternal death and morbidity. It can lead to physical and mental health complications, and social and financial burdens for women, communities and health systems. Every year, 6 in 10 pregnancies (estimated by WHO at 121 million per year) are unintended, and 3 in 10 of these pregnancies end in induced abortion. WHO further estimates that around 45% of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97% occur in developing countries.

But abortion, according to the WHO, is a common and safe health intervention when performed using a WHO-recommended method that is appropriate for the stage of pregnancy and performed by a professional with the necessary skills. However, when women with unwanted pregnancies face obstacles to obtaining a quality abortion, they often resort to unsafe abortion.

Ensuring that women and girls have access to science-based and evidence-based abortion care, which includes being safe, respectful and non-discriminatory, is fundamental to public health and human rights and also enables the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to good health and well-being (SDG 3) and gender equality (SDG 5). Therefore, WHO advises ensuring access to quality health care, including comprehensive abortion care services, which include information, abortion management and post-abortion care. Lack of access to safe, timely, affordable and respectful abortion care poses a risk not only to the physical but also to the mental and social well-being of women and girls.

Despite efforts by WHO Member States and partners in recent years, access to comprehensive abortion and contraceptive care and overall maternal health challenges remain a significant public health problem in the African Region. Indeed, unsafe abortion remains a significant cause of maternal mortality in most countries in the African Region. Multiple barriers prevent women from resorting to unsafe abortion. These include legal restrictions, lack of trained service providers, limited availability of safe abortion services, standardized guidelines and procedures, and stigma and discrimination surrounding abortion. As a result, millions of girls and women in the African Region undergo unsafe abortions every year, resulting in thousands of maternal deaths.

In this context, with the aim of strengthening the clinical care and management of abortion and post-abortion, and ensuring the provision of high-quality evidence-based care, which can be taken to a national scale within the legal framework and standardized procedures for abortion and post-abortion care, it is intended to hire a national consultant to review and update the standards and protocols for clinical care of abortion and post-abortion.

Deliverables

• Assist the international consultant in finding documents and liaising with national authorities;
• Present an outline/action plan to deliver on the consultancy deliverables;
• Assist in international review of standards, guidelines and best practices, including WHO recommendations for quality of pre-abortion, abortion and post-abortion health care;
• Analyze and evaluate existing national guidelines for abortion care and develop recommendations to improve care and services in the proposed standards;
• In collaboration with the international consultant, the Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (DSSSR), organize and facilitate a capacity assessment of health structures/services for the provision of abortion and post-abortion care;
• In collaboration with the DSSSR, organize and facilitate a capacity assessment of health professionals for the provision of abortion and post-abortion care;
• In collaboration with the DSSSR, organize and facilitate group work to discuss new recommendations and their adaptation to the country’s context;
• Develop the first draft of the document and present it to the Technical Working Group (GTT);
• Write minutes and action points for the GTT meeting;
• Incorporate input from the technical working group meeting into the draft document;
• Share the final draft guidelines with the GTT for final input;
• Submit final guidelines and standards on the clinical management of pre-abortion, abortion and post-abortion care.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: Degree in Medicine, Nursing or Public Health

Desirable: Master’s/Specialty in Obstetrics or Sexual and Reproductive Health will be an added value.

Experience

Essential

• Proven work experience of at least 5 years in the area of maternal health, obstetrics or sexual reproductive health;
• Proven experience in the preparation and/or adaptation of technical, regulatory and guidance documents related to health;
• In-depth knowledge of national and international guidance documents and technical guidelines in the field of general health and women’s or maternal health;
• Knowledge of the GB National Health System and the sexual, reproductive or maternal health program will be highlighted.

Desirable

• Experience working/consulting with international organizations such as the UN system or others will be an asset.

Skills/Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge about maternal morbidity and mortality and the health system in Guinea-Bissau;
• Technical knowledge of care procedures surrounding pregnancy;
• Good analytical, planning and organizational skills;
• Leadership skills, teamwork and communication with different partners;
• Ability to work independently, under pressure, managing time and in a multicultural environment;
• Proven ability to provide relevant advice and guidance to multiple stakeholders and partners.
• Good command of computer tools: word processing (Word, Excel, Power Point);
• Proven experience in coordinating and reporting on the work of multiple teams and financial resources at a national level;
• Ability to propose innovative approaches and solutions to difficult situations.

Desirable

Punctuality, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy and commitment to the quality of products delivered.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert)

Essential

Expert knowledge of Portuguese

Intermediate knowledge of English or French will be an added value

Location

Guinea-Bissau

The consultant will work in coordination with the Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Bissau and will be required to provide a weekly report on the status of the activity to the WHO office.

Travel

No travel outside Bissau is expected.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded)

Remuneration: Payband level – The Consultant will be recruited as NOC with a monthly fee of USD 4,000 (four thousand US dollars)

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited): currency and rate : N/A

Expected duration of contract: Sixty (60 days)

Hiring Manager: KAMBIRE-DIARRA Dr Marie Chantal Haoua, kambirec@who.int

Collaborators: PASCOAL Dr Eva das Dores, pascoale@who.int

Admin focal point: DE ALMEIDA RIBEIRO Maria Manuela. ribeirom@who.int

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.
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• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
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