Working With The WHO

The World Health Organisation or WHO is made up of a diverse workforce of about 8,500 individuals from more than 150 different nationalities and working in 147 countries across the world. The WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has 6 regional offices in different countries.

In keeping with the organisation’s mission to provide global leadership in public health, the WHO employs medical doctors, health specialists, scientists and epidemiologists across diverse specialties. They also hire individuals with expertise in health statistics, emergency preparedness and response, finance and administration, economics and information systems.

Employment profiles

WHO recruits staff on temporary as well as long-term contracts to meet different needs. The staff at WHO is grouped broadly as Professional or General Service staff.

Professional staff takes on leadership functions or positions that require a considerable level of technical expertise. They are usually hired internationally and are expected to work across the world, wherever the need arises.

General Service staff support Professional staff in their roles and ensure the smooth functioning of all administrative matters. They are usually hired locally at the respective duty station.

While recruiting, WHO is committed to attaining diversity in the workforce and achieving a broad representation of nationals of its member countries. Particular attention is paid to attaining gender balance and to hiring candidates from developing countries.

All selections are made strictly on a competitive basis and all efforts are made to ensure that all posts are filled in accordance with the organisation’s competency model.

Eligibility requirements

To be recruited in the WHO, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

A university degree as well as a postgraduate specialisation in a health – or management-related field, relevant to the organisation’s work

Good analytical skills, an understanding of policy issues and a keen interest in public health

Experience at the national and international levels in your area of expertise

Good teamwork and excellent communication skills

Excellent proficiency in English and good working knowledge of a second UN language – Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic or Russian

What WHO offers you

The World Health Organisation is highly regarded around the world for the work that they do. Working with such a highly reputed organisation is a reward by itself. The experience will be like no other. Some of the benefits you can look forward to when working with WHO are:

The opportunity to work with a multi-cultural workforce in a dynamic and international work environment

Several opportunities for personal growth and professional development

The opportunity to contribute to saving lives and supporting people’s health throughout the world

A competitive salary and social security package in line with UN salaries and perks

WHO internship programme

WHO also offers internship programmes that are aimed at building future leaders in global public health. The internship programmes are from 6 weeks to 3 months and offer multiple opportunities for students to gain insight in the technical and administrative programmes of the organisation. In some cases, internships may be extended up to a maximum of 6 months. WHO internships are not paid and all costs of travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the intern candidate.