Call for Experts − WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases Deadline: 16 July 2022

                                    
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases. This “Call for Experts” notice provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
The Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases (STAG-NTD) is the main advisory body to World Health Organization in this field.
NTDs are a diverse set of bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal and noncommunicable diseases and disease groups that disproportionately affect populations living in poverty, predominantly in tropical and subtropical areas. Twenty diseases and disease groups are currently included in the NTD portfolio, and currently more than one billion people are affected.
STAG-NTD advises and makes policy and strategic recommendations to WHO, based on independent reviews of progress made and challenges faced by programmes and partners, with the aim of facilitating the achievement of the targets and milestones set by the NTD road map 2021–2030. 
Functions of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the STAG-NTD shall have the following functions:
To provide to WHO independent evaluation of the adequacy of progress towards the targets and milestones of the NTD road map 2021–2030;
To review, and make recommendations to WHO for overcoming, challenges to achieving the targets and milestones of the NTD road map 2021–2030;
To review, and make recommendations to WHO on increasing, the adoption of the three fundamental shifts in approach to tackling NTDs specified in the NTD road map 2021–2030
Operations of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases
The STAG-NTD will normally meet in person once a year at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, usually for 2-3 days.   Depending on the issues at stake, additional interim meetings may be organized in the course of the year.  The working language of the STAG-NTD will be English.
Who can express interest?
The STAG-NTD will be multidisciplinary, with members having a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to NTDs and of the challenges faced by programmes and partners within the context of health systems in NTD-endemic countries.  Up to approximately 20 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from individuals with knowledge, skills and experience in:
Health systems and programme delivery
Health policy
Social science
One health
Vector control
Water and sanitation
Health economics
Pricing, procurement, needs estimation and/or regulation of medicines;
Country-level planning and implementation of cross-cutting activities.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the [name of the advisory group], please submit the following documents by 24:00h (midnight) Geneva time on 16 July 2022 to aimel@who.int using the subject line “Expression of interest for the STAG-NTD”.
A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and outlining how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
Your curriculum vitae; and
A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO.  Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO advisory groups (AGs) must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of an AG is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All AG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). AG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant AG.
The selection of members of the AG will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account  the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations .The selection of AG members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of an AG will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO's action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the AG, disband an existing AG or modify the work of the AG.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO internet.
AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to aimel@who.int well before the applicable deadline.