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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, support!

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The neonatal period—the first month of life—is the most critical and vulnerable time for a child’s survival. Globally, three-quarters of all neonatal deaths occur within the first week of life. In Uzbekistan, neonatal mortality remains a major public health challenge, with an alarming increase from 12 per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 17 per 1,000 live births in 2022, translating to 42 newborn deaths every day. These figures underscore the urgent need to strengthen neonatal care services, enhance the quality of perinatal and postnatal interventions, and scale up evidence-based strategies to improve newborn survival.

This consultancy aims to provide technical coordination and support for the effective implementation of neonatal health programs in Uzbekistan, ensuring alignment with national policies, global best practices, and UNICEF’s strategic priorities. The consultant will work closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other partners to enhance neonatal healthcare services at all levels.

Key areas of focus include:

• Strengthening regionalized neonatal care, ensuring that high-risk newborns receive specialized treatment in well-equipped perinatal centers.
• Scaling up the implementation of evidence-based interventions, including Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (PDSR), Neonatal Resuscitation, Respiratory Support, and Comprehensive Neonatal Care.
• Building the capacity of healthcare providers, including neonatologists and midwives, to deliver high-quality neonatal care through targeted training and mentorship.
• Enhancing data collection, analysis, and reporting mechanisms to improve monitoring of neonatal health outcomes and inform policy decisions.
• Facilitating coordination between MoH, UNICEF, and other donor organizations and partners to ensure a harmonized approach in reducing neonatal mortality and improving newborn health.

To support these efforts, UNICEF Uzbekistan seeks a qualified National Individual Consultant with relevant expertise in neonatal health, public health, or maternal and child health. The consultant will play a key role in strengthening the implementation of the neonatal programs across all perinatal centers in Uzbekistan and supporting national partners in improving neonatal care services.

Since this assignment is part of UNICEF’s Vision 2030 (V2030) program, the consultant will support data collection, aggregation, and analysis for key neonatal health indicators, including:

• Survival rates of low-birthweight newborns in 227 perinatal centers:
  
  • 500–1500g: 85%
  • 1500–2000g: 95%
• Percentage of perinatal deaths audited: 70%
• Number of health providers trained in perinatal care facilities: 15,000
• Number of neonates, women, and adolescents benefiting from high-quality RMNCAH services: 1,200,000, including 600,000 neonates. Disaggregated by: age, gender, rural/urban, regional, and humanitarian context

Duration of Assignment: 24 February – 15 August 2025

Work Assignments Overview 

1. Facilitate the delivery of refresher seminars for healthcare workers (HCWs) nationwide
2. Coordinate and support work with donors
3. Coordinate and support trainings on neonatal programs
4. Coordinate and support supervisory visits to each perinatal center
5. Conduct monitoring visits to perinatal centers
6. Collect and analyze reports from regional teams, generate recommendations, and monitor their implementation

Deliverables and means of verifications - Timeline

1. Trainings conducted/Training report - Feb-Apr - 28 days
2. Equipment received and distributed; trainings conducted - Feb-Apr - 15 days
3. Trainings coordinated and conducted - Feb-Apr - 10 days
4. Supportive supervision visits conducted/Report - Apr-June - 39 days
5. Monitoring visits conducted/Monitoring Report with indicators - June-Aug - 35 days
6. Data collected and analysed/Reports - Feb-Aug - 15 days

TOTAL 142 days

Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. 

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 142 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• An advanced university degree in health/ public Health, maternal, pediatric health or other relevant fields. 
• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experiences in the Newborn Health/Public Health;
• Demonstrated experience in supporting implementation of Neonatal Programs;
• Proven experience in implementing capacity building and supportive supervision initiatives under RMNCH Program;
• Knowledge of UNICEF’s health programs and UN policies;
• Strong facilitation and coordination abilities;
• Proficient Russian and Uzbek.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.