Thailand: Internship in Maternal/Reproductive Health Gaps in Vulnerable and Marginalized Population Groups in the Asia Pacific Region

1.Introduction

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency tasked to deliver “a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.” It does so by supporting countries with policy advice, knowledge sharing and service delivery in the areas of maternal and reproductive health, reproductive health commodity security and right’s-based family planning, the health sector response to gender-based violence and popultion and development. UNFPA bolsters health systems so that maternal, sexual and reproductive health services can reach even the poorest sectors of the population, in the most remote areas at all times or in times of natural or man-made disasters. It advocates for young people’s rights to accurate information and access to sexual and reproductive health services, so that they can reach their full potential and contribute to economic and social transformation.

In September 2015, the United Nations Development Summit adopted a new development framework entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development”. The 2030 Agenda sets 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets to add to and expand the horizon and reach of the 8 Millenium Development Goals. For UNFPA progress in the MDG’s within it’s mandate was uneven and for maternal mortality reduction most countries in the developing world failed to meet their targets. With the SDGs the focus is on building a sutainable world where environmental sustainability, social inclusion and economic development are equally valued. The social inclusion compoment of the intent of the SDGs is critical. While countries are reporting reasonable progress in terms of national indicators UNFPA is aware that within countries various population groups (including ethnic minorities) are not receiving the maternal and general repoductive health services they deserve, for a number of reasons.

2.Purpose

The primary purpose of this internship is to support APRO’s information gathering and dissemination, planning, policy advocacy and service delivery initiatives in maternal health (including antenatal, labour, post natal care and family planning services) by conducting an analysis on poor and unmet need in maternal health, contraceptive and general reproductive health services amongst vulnerable and marginalised sectors of the population (including ethnic minorities) across the Asia Pacific region. This work will be undertaken through detailed desk work and analysis and supported by conference calls to maternal health/reproductive health (MH/RH) focal points in Country Offices in the region.

3.Supervision and Work Setting

(a)Supervision

· The Intern is expected to work independently, under the guidance of and while reporting to the Maternal Health / Reproductive Health Technical Advisor at UNFPA APRO.

(b)Place, timing and duration of assignment

The internship is expected to be completed within 3-6 months between July to December 2016. Physical presence in the UN Services Building, Bangkok, Thailand will be required for the duration of the internship.

4.Scope and Deliverables

The scope and diversity of the internship is expected to include the following tasks and deliverables:

· Identifying and quantifying ethnic minorities, vulnerable and marginalised population groups in countries in the Asia-Pacific region

· Determining if there is any national or regional legislation guaranteeing access to general health services and MH/RH specifically

· Determining maternal and reproductive health services that are accessed by these groups and determining the extent to which these are currently being utilized

· Determining the gaps in essential and non-essential MH/RH service provision (compared to services being accessed by the rest of the population)

· Identifying if any attempts have been made by government, civil society or development partners to fill these gaps and determining if these were deemed successful or otherwise. If indeed the intervention was a success the intern should try to elicit the factors that contributed to the success or vice versa.

· Other related and relevant tasks as directed by the MH/RH Technical Advisor at UNFPA APRO.

5.Profile of Intern

(a)Primary expertise required:

The intern must possess at least a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university and demonstrate sound skills in conducting a search of the maternal health and reproductive health literature as well as drafting a report.

(b)Educational background, including degrees and post-graduate education:

A Bachelor’s degree with a postgraduate qualification at Master’s level in international development, public health or associated fields is required. Post-graduate students anticipating passing with a Master's degree during the year will also be considered.

(c)Work experience:

· At least two years of experience in relevant fields.

· Past experience in conducting a literature search of the public health, maternal health or reproductive health literature.

· The ability to work under minimal supervision will be an asset.

(d)Other competencies:

● Excellent report writing skills, analytical skills as well as good computer skills

● Excellent presentation and communication skills in English language, both oral and written

· Proficiency in MS Office software and good knowledge of statistical software packages (Epi Info, SPSS).

The interested candidates should submit the following documents:

1. Filled Application Form http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/resources/internship-application

2. A completed United Nations Personal History (P 11)

http://www.unfpa.org/resources/p11-un-personal-history-form

All the above documents must be sent by e-mail to vac-robangkok@unfpa.org.

Please quote the Vacancy number "JID 1602 UNFPA APRO". The deadline for application is:

Friday, 06 May 2016 at 15.00 hours, Bangkok time.

UNFPA will only be able to respond to those applications in which UNFPA has a further interest.

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balances gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.

Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.