International Health Youth Internships Program

The International Affairs Directorate of Health Canada is expected to provide CSIH with a contribution agreement to support five placements in 2006-07 related to international health initiatives of interest to Canada at WHO, PAHO and IOM.

1. Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada between 19 and 30 of age.*
2. Be available for 6 months.
3. Be in good health and undertake to obtain appropriate immunizations and arrange for travel/health/life
insurance as well as to arrange travel to the host country and satisfy all visa requirements.
4. Have the appropriate education, training or expertise (see placement listings for specific criteria) and have completed a post-secondary degree or diploma.
5. Demonstrate an interest in international issues and openness to different cultures and situations.
6. Be prepared to engage in awareness-raising activities on return to Canada.

World Health Organization
Switzerland, Geneva

Chronic Diseases Health Information

Indigenous Human Rights

International Organization for Migration Switzerland, Geneva

Migration Health and Trafficking Research Assistant

Pan American Health Organization
USA, Washington

Health Services Information Specialist

Lessons Learned and Good Practice System

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with 100 years of experience in working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. It serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and enjoys international recognition as part of the United Nations system.

Job Description

The incumbent will contribute to the understanding and application of health services knowledge and information to increase evidence-based programming and policies.

· Perform an assessment (situation analysis) of the organization and delivery of health services in selected Latin American and Caribbean countries and availability of information pertaining to health services;

· Identify and organize information on decision-support tools, methodologies and guidelines to improve management and delivery of health services including clinical, administrative, and management information systems; electronic medical records; instruments to identify barriers to access healthcare services; methodologies to measure equity in health services; methodologies to measure, monitor, and evaluate access to services.

· Collaborate with partners and Member Countries to evaluate tools and discuss their strengths and weaknesses for country-specific context.

Language: Excellent written command of either English or Spanish. A good knowledge of the other would be a strong asset.
Education: University degree and advanced degree in a health related or information related professions.
Other: Experience working with health indicators and/or health information systems and tools. Experience in assessment, planning and priority setting. Ability to use epidemiological concepts and methods.

The work of the young professional will contribute to Member States through PAHO’s technical cooperation in knowledge management for public health, which seeks to reduce the Know-Do gap between evidential health knowledge and actual policies and programs. The work of the young professional will therefore have impact through:

1. Contribute to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public health organizations in Member States through PAHO's technical cooperation programs in knowledge management.

2. Contribute to empower citizens on public health issues through improved relevant knowledge management at the country and regional levels, notably by assisting PAHO in providing authoritative public health knowledge.

3. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the work of the Organization and its partners to improve technical cooperation among the Region through a better capturing, sharing, and application of lessons learned and good practices.

Objective 1: Project formulation and preparation for a systematic capturing, codifying, and retrieval system for lessons learned and good practices.

Objective 2: Assess existing Lessons Learned and Good Practices systems being used by other development organizations, analyzing both successes and failures, and drawling lessons for the conceptualization of an effective model for the Organization and its partners.

Language: Excellent written command of either English or Spanish. A good knowledge of the other would be a strong asset.
Education: B.Sc. or equivalent degree completed or in final stage of completion in computer sciences, with an emphasis on knowledge management tools.
Other: Proven ability to work autonomously, be results-oriented, and to meet deadlines.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to engage in complex discussions and presentations with colleagues and external parties.

The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO/HQ supports six Regional Offices, as well as the work of country offices. WHO provides active support to Ministries of Health in developing countries. Within these countries indigenous populations often constitute the most vulnerable and marginalized population groups. The work of the young professional will serve to heighten attention to ensure outreach and participation of indigenous populations in the work done to strengthen health systems at national level.

The incumbent will heighten attention to ensure outreach and participation of indigenous populations in the work done to strengthen health systems at the national level.

Under the supervision of the Health and Human Rights Adviser, the young professional will:

Objective 1: Implement a work-plan and project proposal for WHO to strengthen its work in the area of health and human rights of indigenous peoples globally, building on previous work and guidance from WHO governing bodies on this topic.

Objective 2: Establish and maintain links with relevant WHO technical departments and indigenous focal points in WHO regional offices, as well as with external actors such as relevant NGOs and academic institutions.

Objective 3: Provide support to the overall coordination of WHO participation in external activities and events relevant to indigenous peoples' health, such as the mechanisms under the auspices of the UN human rights system and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Language: Excellent written command of either English or French. A good knowledge of the other would be a strong asset.
Education: Advanced degree in Human Rights Law and/or Public Health.
Other: Good understanding of public health and development. Excellent writing and communication skills. Ability to work well in a multi-cultural environment.

The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7^th April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Within the World Health Organization, the vision of the Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion is to lead and strengthen global efforts to prevent and control chronic (non-communicable) diseases and to promote health; and its mission is to prevent and control chronic diseases and to promote health through effective partnerships, especially in low and middle income countries. The work is conducted in coordination with other WHO programs, WHO Regional and Country Offices, Member States, other UN agencies, the World Bank, NGOs, donor agencies, and other leaders in chronic disease prevention and control from around the world.

The incumbent will work to improve the structure and function of the Departmental and
Cluster-level web sites so that they can accommodate a search engine in the Global InfoBase format and support the dissemination of the latest information and evidence relating to chronic disease prevention and control.

Language: Excellent knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of another WHO official language would be an asset.

Education: University degree in computer science (or related degree or equivalent work experience). Skills in .Net application programming, data modeling, XML based data extraction, and XML based data transfer technologies. Advanced degrees in: psychology, marketing public health, health management, international affairs or related subjects.
Other: Ability to work with SQL-based systems and specifically with Microsoft Access. Some knowledge of data analysis packages including SAS, STATA, or SPSS and ability to program in one of these packages.

Advantage given to those with experience working the ICT industry especially with a client focused approach. Advantage given to those with experience working on advocacy/communications projects, and with experience working on public health projects.

IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As the leading international organization for migration, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: Assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management; Advance understanding of migration issues; Encourage social and economic development through migration, and Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

The placement will contribute to the overall IOM Migration Health Department’s efforts to promote health as a cross-cutting issue in all IOM service areas. The research findings will produce an increased understanding of the health and migration issues of trafficked persons.

Education: Degree in health sciences or Public health Epidemiology.
Other: Analytical skills pertaining to migration management/migration health perspectives. Networking/communication skills with experts and professionals in field Research, donor liaison, coordination, project proposal and report writing skills.