PAHO Consultant - "Pocketbook WHO Guidelines-Aging"

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Contractual Agreement:

Non-Staff - International PAHO Consultant

Job Posting:

July 10, 2025

Closing Date:

July 18, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location:

Off Site

Organization:

HSS Health Systems and Services

Schedule:

Part time

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY

Aligning health services to the needs of older persons and promoting healthy aging based on the definition proposed by the World Report on Aging and Health (2015) has been a work priority of the Pan American Health Organization. Offering person-centered, integrated care and primary health services that respond to the needs of older people is one of the areas of action proposed for the Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030 and is fundamental to improving the lives of older people, their families and the communities where they live. The purpose of this consultancy is to support the development of a pocketbook for primary care in older people which is part of the integrated care for older people strategy with a life course approach.
Background
The primary objective of the Department of Health Systems and Services is to strengthen health systems based on Primary Health Care, support the transformation of national health systems to improve equity and resilience, strengthen Primary Health Care (PHC), and address the relevant issues related to human resources as health systems move towards the achievement of Universal Health. Its work encompasses the following areas: integrated services delivery, strengthening of health systems governance and stewardship; developing efficient and equitable financial mechanisms to ensure adequate public funding of the health system; human resources for health, healthy life course; the Virtual Campus of Public Health, and Maternal, Neonatal and Reproductive Health.
The Healthy Life Course Unit uses an integrated approach to address the health needs of the population of the Region of the Americas. The life-course approach is based on a model that suggests that health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities depend on the interaction of various protective and risk factors throughout life. The vision of health in trajectory can optimize health outcomes. Targeted and timely interventions at every stage of life within and beyond the health sector are crucial to build health and address population needs, at the same time that risks in critical periods are minimized. The healthy life course unit responds to child, adolescent and older adults’ health; as well as oral, visual and hearing health.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Healthy Aging Advisor of the Healthy Life Course Unit, and under the general supervision of the Unit Chief, the consultant is expected      to:

Review WHO recommendations and guidelines on the topics listed below proposed to be part of the pocketbook of primary care for older people (sessions of geriatric syndromes and older people with chronic diseases).

Geriatric syndromes

• Polypharmacy and the do’s and don’ts of deprescription
• Multimorbidity
• Frailty/sarcopenia and dependency prevention
• Malnutrition (undernourishment, obesity)
• Urinary incontinence
• Fecal incontinence
• Falls

Person-centered management of diseases

• Older person with diabetes
• Older person with hypertension
• Older person with dementia
• Older person with depression
• Older person with osteoporosis
• Older person with fracture
• Older person with COPD
• Older person with chronic kidney disease and kidney failure
• Older person with arthritis
• Older person with cancer
• Older person with prostate problems
• Older person with upper and lower respiratory tract infections
• Older person with UTI
• Older person with zoster
• Older person with heart failure
• Older person with stroke
• Older person with atrial fibrillation
• Older person with acute coronary syndrome

Develop a database of documents with the guidelines and recommendations found Include relevant information from the guidelines in each topic in the forms/template provided that will serve as the basis for the content development of the pocketbook Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Specific products/deliverables expected

Database of WHO guidelines/recommendations on the topics of the pocketbook proposed on geriatric syndromes and older people with chron