Fellow, Early Detection and Early Action for Epidemics and Pandemics

Organizational Context
Please note that eligibility for this position is limited to applicants whose fellowship is sponsored by an accredited educational institution.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.
IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The Health And Care Department’s New Strategic Direction 2023 Focuses On Health Systems Strengthening And WASH Systems Strengthening Through 4 Pillars:
Pillar 1: Global Health Security
Pillar 2: Global Health Protection and Universal Health Coverage
Pillar 3: Global Water Security
Pillar 4: Transformative Partnership
The 4 Pillars under Health Systems Strengthening and WASH Systems Strengthening are supported by 3 Enablers:
Enabler 1: Strengthening National Society Leadership on Health and WASH
Enabler 2: Strengthening IFRC Secretariate Health Infrastructure at county, cluster, region and Geneva level
Enabler 3: Digital Solutions and Data
IFRC Africa regional office programmatic priorities for 2026 and beyond include four key areas namely:

• Strengthening African National Societies' capacity for effective epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response.
• Building community health resilience through scaling up contextualized, and formalized community health programming with focus on systems strengthening, community health workforce development and community health service delivery.
• Strengthening National Society capacity to deliver quality, affordable, appropriate, and climate-resilient Water Security and WASH services with focus on cholera prevention, preparedness and response.
• Positioning Africa National Societies as strong, reliable local and sustainable Health and Care partners aligned to their auxiliary role and supported by strong coordination, collaboration and partnerships internally and externally.
  

Job Purpose
Emergency health and outbreak response executive summary
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), supports its member National Societies to respond to epidemics, with a focus on improving the quality, appropriateness and timeliness of community-based health and WASH responses. This includes technical support to National Societies responding to epidemics, tools development, and ongoing analysis and lessons learning to support decision-making and response.
Overall objective of this fellowship
This fellowship aims to support the IFRC to provide technical support to National Societies responding to outbreaks, including but not limited to cholera, by capturing lessons learned, and identifying best practices, challenges, and opportunities to strengthen the implementation and sustainability of their community-based epidemic and pandemic response modalities. In addition, where possible, the Fellow will support implementation of data-driven decision-making tools and platforms to facilitate evidence-informed action at the local level.
Job Duties And Responsibilities

• Direct technical and operational support to responding countries
• Remote and in-person (in-country) support to countries responding to epidemics, including support for response planning, training, implementation, supervision, and development/implementation of quality assurance systems.
• Support lessons learning and after-action reviews (AAR) of outbreak response operations, including developing an outbreak-specific AAR methodology.
• Development and implementation of data-driven decision-making approaches for cholera and other epidemic diseases
• Support development and roll-out of tools to track and proactively manage outbreak response activity implementation performance, with a focus on quality of implementation, and appropriateness of intervention locations relative to disease transmission and burden patterns.
• Tools development
• Based on a continuous learning process with responding National Societies, develop and improve trainings and tools to support improved future responses.
• Validation and Dissemination
• Present preliminary findings during an online workshop with IFRC, National Societies.
  

Alignment to the IFRC’s Strategy 2030
The Fellowship Aligns With The IFRC’s Strategy 2030 As It Directly Supports The Achievement Of The Federation’s Global Aims:
Global Aim 1: People anticipate, respond to and quickly recover from crisis.

• The fellowship strengthens community responses to epidemics
  

Management of fellowship
The fellow will be technically managed by the Senior Officer, Public Health in Emergencies and line co-managed by the health and operations focal points in the country where s/he is operating. There will be significant coordination with the Global Cholera Coordinator and colleagues in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene unit.
Time allocation
Until 31 December 2026
Location
Africa, with time spent in both Nairobi and responding countries to be determined.
Education
Required

• Currently enrolled in a graduate, post-graduate, research programme or equivalent level of study in a relevant area.
  

Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required

• Fluently spoken and written English.
  

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).
  

Competencies, Values and Comments
Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
Application Instruction
Please submit your application in English only.
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