Public Health Fellowship at WHO
A rare chance has emerged at the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) for a Junior Public Health Professional in Digital Health. This 24-month fellowship based in New Delhi aims to enhance digital health initiatives across Member States. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by 20 October 2026 for the WHO Recruitment.
About WHO South-East Asia Regional Office:
The World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) is a leading public health organization dedicated to improving health and well-being across the South-East Asia region. WHO-SEARO collaborates with Member States to address health challenges and implement effective health strategies. The organization focuses on various health domains, including disease prevention, health promotion, and the integration of digital health solutions to enhance healthcare delivery.
Fellowship Details:
- Position: Junior Public Health Professional – Digital Health
- Location: New Delhi
- Duration: 24 months
- Remuneration: Approx. US$ 63000 per annum
Objective of the WHO Programme/Department:
The overall objective of the Digital Health Technical Unit in Department of HSD is to support the Member States to improve health for everyone, everywhere by accelerating the development and adoption of appropriate, accessible, affordable, scalable and sustainable person centric digital health solutions to prevent, detect and respond to epidemics and pandemics, developing infrastructure and applications that enable countries to use health data to promote health and well-being, and to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. WHO-SEARO is harnessing the power of digital technologies and health innovation to accelerate global attainment of health and the well-being. Translating latest data, research, and evidence into action: this means promoting standards for interoperability and data sharing and supporting implementation of digital solutions that contribute to informed decision making. Enhancing knowledge through scientific communities of practice: enabled by new technologies and no longer limited by the need for physical meetings or hard copy peer review journals, WHO brings together top expert voices around topics of clinical and public health significance. Systematically assessing and linking country needs with supply of innovations. WHO-SEARO takes a proactive, systematic approach to identify, promote, co-develop, and scale innovations that are based on country needs of the South East Asia Region. Also, to recognize the successful digital health initiatives and the urgent need to address the major impediments faced by least-developed countries of the region through implementing digital health technologies, to promote the appropriate use of digital technologies for health and to strengthen health systems by introducing digital technologies.
Objective of JPP:
The JPP will support the Digital Health Technical Unit at WHO-SEARO in advancing digital health and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the South-East Asia Region. The JPP will provide technical support to Member States in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national digital health strategies, action plans and priority initiatives, aligned with regional priorities and universal health coverage (UHC).
The JPP will also contribute to regional digital health strategy and action planning, support the implementation and scale-up of digital health and AI initiatives, facilitate country-level technical assistance and capacity building, and help strengthen sustainable, interoperable and context-appropriate digital health ecosystems across Member States.
Supervisor:
- First Level: Dr Karthik Adapa, RA-DH
- Second Level: Mr Manoj Jhalani, Director-HSD
Terms of reference:
Under the overall guidance of the Director, Department of Health Systems Development (HSD) and the direct supervision of the Regional Adviser, Digital Health, the JPP will provide support in the following areas:
- Support WHO-SEARO and Member States in the development, implementation, monitoring and review of digital health strategies, action plans, roadmaps and priority initiatives
- Provide technical and coordination support for regional and country-level work on digital health architecture, interoperability and standards, digital public infrastructure for health (DPI-H), capacity building in the WHO Recruitment.
- Support engagement and consultations with Member States, WHO departments and Regional/Country Offices, development partners, civil society, academia, technology stakeholders, healthcare workers and other relevant partners, including preparation of technical materials, agendas, meeting reports and follow-up actions.
- Engage technical and development partners, academia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate strategic partnerships for Member States.
- Contribute to the development, review and strengthening of technical guidance, policy documents, reports, concept notes, knowledge products and other technical materials related to digital health in the WHO Recruitment.
- Support capacity-building, workshops, consultations and knowledge-exchange activities for Member States, including identification of country needs, priorities, implementation challenges and opportunities for technical assistance.
- Undertake evidence reviews, research and technical analysis to inform WHO-SEARO’s digital health portfolio and support the translation of global and regional guidance into country-level implementation.
- Support the documentation, monitoring and dissemination of country and regional digital health initiatives, implementation experiences, lessons and good practices to facilitate learning across the South-East Asia Region.
- Undertake other related activities assigned by the Regional Adviser, Digital Health, in alignment with the priorities of HSD and WHO-SEARO.
Educational Requirements for the WHO Recruitment:
- Essential: Bachelor’s in digital health, law, data science, public health, social sciences, or another related field relevant to digital health.
- Desirable: Masters/Doctorate in any related field.
Experience Required for the WHO Recruitment:
Essential:
- Minimum one year of experience in digital health implementation, health systems, or related areas.
- Minimum one year of experience embedded within national and/or subnational government systems, partnering directly with public health leadership to drive large-scale health reforms.
- In-depth knowledge of government-centric digital health implementation and large-scale digital health solution deployments for national and subnational public health systems.
- Proven track record in drafting high-impact national and state-level policies.
- At least one year of experience in managing and engaging diverse stakeholders at the subnational, national, and global levels across multilaterals, donors, governments, non-profits, academia, and/or private partners.
Desirable:
- Experience working with WHO, UN agencies or other international/multilateral organisations.
- Demonstrated experience in disseminating high-impact work through presentations and case studies at prominent national and global forums.
- Knowledge of any/multiple SEA Regional languages is an asset.
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