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UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, life

Background

Globally, adverse neonatal outcomes are one of the most common causes of neonatal mortality and have a significant effect on the risk of developmental disabilities and illness throughout future lives . Adverse neonatal outcome refers to the occurrence of preterm delivery, low birth weight (LBW), low Apgar score at first and fifth minutes after birth, small for gestational age, severe neonatal conditions and early or late neonatal death. While in 2020, 47% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years around the world were neonatal deaths, in Latin America and the Caribbean, this figure was 56% . Adverse neonatal outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean are influenced by a multitude of factors, including socioeconomic disparities and healthcare access limitations. In Guatemala, for instance, the infant mortality rate decreased from 38.8 to 17.27 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2002 and 2021; however, challenges such as low birth weight and limited access to healthcare services persist, particularly among indigenous communities .
In Guyana, the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 16.08 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 which is higher than the SDG target of fewer than 12 deaths per 1,000 live births and the Latin America and Caribbean(LAC) rate of 9 deaths per 1,000 in 2022 . All other high-income countries in LAC have achieved the SDG target for neonatal mortality.

National estimates hide greater inequalities between subgroups (e.g., based on ethnicity, place of residence, and socioeconomic status) and preventable causes of death still pose a major challenge. To achieve the SDG target for neonatal mortality and leave no one behind in Guyana, examining and closing health inequality gaps within the country is essential.

These Terms of Reference are for a Consultant to conduct study on adverse neonatal outcomes and child mortality in Guyana. This study will utilise a rights-based, equity-focused and risk informed approach and will provide an accurate understanding of the situation of adverse neonatal outcomes, which is critical to inform national strategies for at-scale programming. The Government of Guyana – the Ministry of Health, is partnering with UNICEF to conduct this study.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope and Objectives

This study on adverse neonatal outcomes will be conducted in Guyana, especially in Regions 4,5, 8 and 9. It will examine and determine the association of sociodemographic factors, mother’s medical and pregnancy history with adverse neonatal outcomes. The study will also explore trends and causes of neonatal mortality, infant mortality and under five mortality between 2014 and 2020.

The scope is further defined below:

- Sociodemographic factors: - maternal age, ethnicity, marital status, religion, mother’s education, mother’s occupation, paternal occupation, household income, urban/rural.

- Mother’s medical history: - past medical complication, anemia, pregnancy induced hypertension, chronic hypertension, DM, UTI, History of STI, HIV, Syphilis, maternal height, maternal weight, maternal BMI, history of adverse neonatal outcome, (smoke, consumption of alcohol/drugs).

- Pregnancy and Obstetric history: - gravidity and parity; birth interval, ANC visit, ANC frequency, mode of delivery, preeclampsia, labor complication, placenta previa, etc.

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

 A master’s degree in public health, health research, neonatology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology, health policy, global health or related areas.
 A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the field of public health/health policy including research experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
 Previous experience in the implementation of maternal and child health-related programmes at a national, regional or global level is an asset.
 Previous experience working multiple stakeholders including international development partners, government agencies and civil society groups.
 Fluency in spoken and written English
 Good ability to write reports clearly and concisely.

Desirable:
 Previous work experience with the United Nations System or other international development organizations and/or national governments.
 Previous work experience in the Guyana public health system.
 Experiential knowledge of Guyana’s sub-regional contexts.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Please access the complete ToR here:  ToR for consultant to conduct a study on factors associated with adverse neonatal outcomes.pdf

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. 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.