TOR 2: Expert technical inputs on the safe and sustainable management of health care waste

Area of expertise: Experience in supporting development of national health care waste policies,
reviewing and advising on most appropriate health care waste technologies, providing advanced training
on sustainable and safe health care waste management.

Purpose of the TORs: To provide expert technical support to regional and country efforts on safe and
sustainable health care waste management and contribute to global guidance and technical documents
on health care waste.

Background
WHO’s support to regions and countries on WASH and waste in health care facilities is critical to the
success of the implementation of the forthcoming WHO/UNICEF Global Framework for Action on WASH,
waste and electricity in health care facilities (2024-2030). It requires extensive technical experience in
using, adapting and implementing the WASH FIT tool, an understanding of key elements of country
roadmaps and how to support country-led efforts to develop them, and strong policy and diplomatic
skills in working across sectors to support effective WASH and health efforts.

Health care waste management is one particular area of need and focus, for which a highly skilled
consultant is needed to support policy and standards development, deliver training and advise other
colleagues at HQ, in the regions and at country level. This need has become even more acute with
climate related concerns around waste and efforts to support low-carbon and environmentally
sustainable health care waste facilities.

While this work is based within WSH, there are a number of other teams at WHO working on health care
waste including those within emergencies, chemical safety, climate, injection safety, and vaccines. Thus,
effort will require effectively collaborating with different teams at HQ and the regional and national
level.

Deliverables
Deliverable 1: Documented, focused technical support to regions and countries
-Provide expert technical inputs into national and regional policies and events on safe and sustainable
health care waste management
-Draft and finalize technical briefs and key health care waste topics, including safe management and
disposal of vaccine waste
-Provide urgent technical inputs to health care waste management in emergencies including for
Palestine, Ukraine and other countries affected by conflict

Deliverable 2: Support and develop package of materials on safe disposal of pharmaceutical waste
-Support development and management of technical working group to safe disposal of pharmaceutical
waste
-Develop extended outline and draft of best practices document on safe disposal of pharmaceutical
waste
-Working with regional/country offices and partners, document and disseminate best practices for safe
disposal of pharmaceutical waste

Deliverable 3: Update and expand training on safe and sustainable health care waste management
-Update existing training material on safe and sustainable health care waste management to reflect
latest technologies and best practices, including through new forthcoming Open WHO course.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:
Band level B:
 Essential: Minimum first university degree in relevant area (e.g. health care waste, public health,
environmental sciences or engineering)
Desirable: Advanced university degree in a relevant area (e.g. public health, health care waste,
environmental sciences or engineering)
Band level C:
Essential: Minimum an advanced university degree in a relevant area (e.g. public health, health care
waste, environmental sciences or engineering)
Experience:
Band level B:
Essential: Five to ten years of relevant experience, including in-country experience
Band level C:
Essential: Over ten years of relevant experience, including in-country experience

Band levels B and C:

Essential:
 Experience in supporting country development of health care waste standards, national plans and
assessments of WASH and waste in health care facilities
 Experience with capacity building and training
 Experience writing technical and complex documents on health care waste

Desirable:
 Experience with adapting training and developing new technical modules for health care waste
 Experience with consolidating input from a variety of actors into global reports and initiatives

Skills/Knowledge:
Essential:
 Strong technical knowledge of all aspects of safe health care waste management (e.g. waste
reduction, waste segregation, waste treatment and disposal)
 Knowledge of national stakeholders and processes for improving health care waste
 Knowledge and understanding of national standards and policies related to health care waste
mangement
 Excellent/demonstrated interpersonal and partnership management skills.
 Excellent/demonstrated organizational skills
 Excellent writing skills in English

Desirable:
 Recent experience in selecting and implementing latest health care waste technologies (e.g.
autoclaves, microwaves) and knowledge of manufacturers, advantages and disadvantages and
appropriateness of different technologies in different settings.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):

Essential:
 Expert knowledge in English

Location
Off site: Home-based
Travel
The consultant is expected to travel to selected country missions and regional and global events.
Remuneration and level of effort
Remuneration: Payband level B (USD 350-499 per day) or Payband level C (USD 500-625 per day)
Expected level of effort: 60-70 days per contract year (contract year is 11 months for consultants)