E T Consultant at World Bank Group in Bujumbura, Burundi

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/ibrd

Eastern and Southern Africa Region context

Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) region is largely composed of countries eligible for support from the International Development Association (IDA), reflecting lower income levels and continued reliance on concessional finance, with a smaller group accessing the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) as blend or middle-income economies. The region combines dynamic urban growth with rural livelihoods but faces persistent challenges including poverty, inequality, climate vulnerability, governance constraints, and infrastructure gaps. It also carries a dual burden of disease, with infectious illnesses coexisting alongside rising non-communicable conditions. In this context, the World Bank supports development by financing key sectors, strengthening institutions, and promoting resilience through a mix of grants, concessional loans, and technical expertise.

The Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice (HNP) of the World Bank supports countries in Eastern and Southern Africa by strengthening health systems and improving outcomes across the life course. It finances and advises on primary health care, maternal and child health, and disease control, as well as rising non-communicable diseases. HNP also works to improve nutrition, expand universal health coverage, and enhance pandemic preparedness and response. Beyond funding, it provides technical assistance, data and analytics, and supports policy and institutional reforms to make health systems more equitable, efficient, and resilient, particularly for poor and vulnerable populations.

Health and nutrition challenges in AFE region vary by income level, but are underpinned by common structural constraints affecting service delivery, equity, and outcomes:

• Upper middle-income countries (UMICs): These countries face an advanced epidemiological transition, characterized by a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alongside persistent pockets of communicable diseases. Despite relatively stronger systems, inequities in access and quality of care remain significant, particularly for marginalized and peri-urban populations. Health systems are often not yet fully adapted to provide integrated, continuous care required for chronic disease management. In addition, health financing arrangements remain fragmented and insufficiently aligned to incentivize efficiency and quality, with continued reliance on out-of-pocket spending for certain services.

• Lower middle-income countries (LMICs): These settings continue to carry a high burden of communicable diseases, compounded by systemic capacity constraints, including limited fiscal space, low public spending on health, shortages and maldistribution of health workers, and weak infrastructure. Health financing systems are often under-resourced and heavily donor-dependent, raising concerns around sustainability and alignment with national priorities. Service delivery gaps are more pronounced, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas, resulting in low effective coverage of essential health services and persistent gaps in maternal and child health outcomes.

• Malnutrition (across all income groups): Malnutrition remains a pervasive, multi-dimensional challenge, encompassing undernutrition (stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies) alongside a rising prevalence of overweight and obesity, particularly in urban areas. These outcomes are driven by structural determinants, including food insecurity, poverty, and climate-related shocks, as well as inadequate and poorly targeted financing for nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, resulting in uneven nutrition outcomes and reinforcing intergenerational cycles of poor health.

These challenges underscore the need for integrated approaches that strengthen primary health care systems, improve the efficiency and sustainability of health financing, and address both supply- and demand-side constraints across diverse country contexts.

Overview of the Current Health Portfolio

Angola

· Human Resources for Health Capacity for Universal Health Coverage Project (P180631) (US$200 million) focuses on strengthening Angola’s health workforce as a cornerstone of improved service delivery. The project supports the training and deployment of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, with a strong emphasis on primary health care and underserved areas. To date, it has supported the training of hundreds of health professionals, including approximately 399 general and family medicine specialists deployed at the municipal level, alongside thousands of nurses and mid-level cadres trained or in training. It also strengthens institutional capacity for workforce planning, management, and retention, contributing to more equitable access to qualified health personnel across the country.

· Angola Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Project (HEPRR) (P507385, US$250 million loan + grants) aims to strengthen Angola’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies, with the overarching objective of improving the country’s performance under the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) framework. The project supports core public health functions, including disease surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency coordination, and the delivery of critical inputs such as vaccines, medicines, and medical supplies, all aligned with strengthening International Health Regulations (IHR) capacities. A strong emphasis is placed on prevention and building an epidemic-ready system. Through these investments, HEPRR strengthens both emergency preparedness and the foundational systems required to improve Angola’s JEE scores and overall health security.

Sao Tome and Principe (STP)

· STP Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience Program (HEPRR) (P180127, US$ 9,0 million credit) integrated the first phase of the HEPRR Program, to strengthen its national capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies, building on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic; the project’s scope includes upgrading surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, emergency preparedness, and health system resilience, particularly at primary care and community levels; and improving rapid response mechanisms, workforce training, medical supply chains, and institutional coordination to ensure STP can effectively manage future health crises while maintaining essential health services.

Objectives and Scope of Work

In light of the substantial portfolio complexity and variety, the HAEH2 team seeks to recruit an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) to support the design, implementation, and supervision of health and nutrition operations in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (STP), with potential contributions to other countries across the AFE region.

The ETC will contribute to strengthening health system performance, resilience, and equity, with a particular focus on human resources, emergency preparedness, nutrition and human capital outcomes. The role will support the World Bank’s engagement with client governments through high-quality policy dialogue, strong implementation support, and the preparation of new lending and advisory operations.

The scope of work includes:

• Supporting the delivery and supervision of the Angola and STP health portfolios, ensuring alignment with country priorities and World Bank strategic objectives.
• Contributing to the preparation of new operations, including Investment Project Financing (IPF), Program-for-Results (PforR), and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA).
• Supporting cross-country knowledge generation and regional initiatives within AFE, as relevant.
• Engaging in policy dialogue on key sector issues, including service delivery, health financing, and nutrition outcomes.

Duties and Responsibilities

The ETC will report to the Practice Manager and will be responsible for the following:

1. Operational Support and Portfolio Management

• Support the implementation and supervision of ongoing health operations in Angola and STP, including monitoring progress, identifying bottlenecks, and proposing corrective actions.
• Contribute to implementation support missions, aide-mémoires, Implementation Status and Results Reports (ISRs), and other operational deliverables.
• Coordinate with fiduciary and safeguards teams (procurement, financial management, environmental and social specialists) to ensure compliance and effective execution.
• Support client counterparts in strengthening implementation capacity, including planning, monitoring, and reporting.

2. Preparation of New Operations and Analytical Work

• Contribute to the preparation of new lending operations and ASA, including technical inputs, background analysis, and drafting of key documents (e.g., concept notes, PADs, technical reports).
• Support the development of PHC-oriented investment approaches, including service delivery models, workforce strategies, and system strengthening interventions.
• Contribute to analytical work on health financing, efficiency, and sustainability (e.g., public expenditure reviews, fiscal space analysis, resource allocation).

3. Policy Dialogue and Client Engagement

• Support structured policy dialogue with government counterparts (e.g., Ministries of Health and Finance) on sector priorities, including PHC, health financing, and nutrition.
• Prepare high-quality briefing materials, presentations, and policy notes for senior management and client engagement.
• Maintain effective working relationships with national stakeholders, development partners, and relevant institutions.

4. Cross-Sectoral and Regional Collaboration

• Collaborate with other Global Practices (e.g., Social Protection, Water, Education) to support integrated approaches to human capital.
• Contribute, as needed, to regional AFE initiatives, knowledge products, and cross-country learning.
• Provide technical support to other country teams within AFE, as requested.

5. Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

• Contribute to the generation and dissemination of knowledge products, lessons learned, and good practices.
• Support capacity-building activities for government counterparts, including workshops, training, and technical assistance.