World Health Organisation Internship Programme 2019

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is an agency created by the United Nations (UN) to contribute positively to international public health. It is a prestigious global organization to work in and gain great exposure and experience. World Health Organisation Internship Programme 2019 is here and in this article, you can learn how to apply and be a par of it.

Table of Contents

Objectives of the World Health Organisation Internship Programme
Internship duties
Qualification requirement for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme
Additional information
Program deadline
Duration of internship
Location of internship
How to apply for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme
Program website

Objectives of the World Health Organisation Internship Programme

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations system. WHO has 194 Member States and more than 7000 people working in 150 country offices, in 6 regional offices and at headquarter in Geneva. WHO offers internships globally in our country and regional offices, as well as at headquarters.

The WHO internship programme has three objectives:

To provide a framework for assigning students from diverse academic backgrounds to WHO programmes, where educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments.
To expose students to the work of WHO
To provide WHO programmes with the assistance of students specializing in various fields. Most students are placed in health-related programmes, although placements in other area of work like for example communication, external relations, finance or human resources are also possible.

Internship duties

Under the supervision of a technical expert in the respective area, interns are assigned a project based on agreed terms of references and in line with their skills set. These terms of references typically include some or all of the following responsibilities:

review literature and conduct literature surveys
undertake web research and data collection on specific subject area
organize data and documents
participate in the development of tools and guidelines
assist in drafting, formatting and editing policy briefs, tool kits, guides/manuals, hand-outs, brochures and reports
assist in organizing workshops, meetings, conferences, events
participate in on-going departmental projects

Qualification requirement for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme

Education

Have completed three years of full-time studies (bachelor’s level or equivalent) at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment; AND be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification (applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they start the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills requirement

Team work
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural difference
Communication
Communicating effectively orally and in writing
Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
Producing and delivering quality results
Working collaboratively with team members

In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Knowledge of specialized computer programmes, for example, statistical software such as XLStat may be an advantage

Experience requirement

Depending on the area of interest, the below experience may be needed and/or would be an advantage.

Experience in research and/or in drafting reports
Experience in the subject area through academic work or research
Field and/or developing country experience
Experience with data analysis, statistical packages and interest in the design of graphical display and analysis of health information in an international comparative perspective, such as for health system performance assessment
More specific experience such as specialized computer programmes

Language requirement

Fluency in one of WHO’s working languages (reading, writing and speaking). WHO official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
Knowledge of the local language in some duty stations can be an asset

Additional information

Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only successful candidates will be contacted.
WHO Internships are not paid. Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship.
Interns are not eligible for appointment to any position in WHO for a period of three months following the end of the internship.
If selected for a WHO Internship, you will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in a course of studies and a medical certificate of fitness for work.

Program deadline

Jun 30, 2019

Duration of internship

Mininum 6 weeks – Maximum 24 weeks

Location of internship

Multiple locations

How to apply for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme

Follow these steps to apply for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme:

1. Check if you meet the requirement

Be sure that you met the requirement before processing application. This is to ensure you are not wasting your time.

2. Visit application portal and create account

Once you are sure that you have all it takes to be a WHO intern, head straight to the application portal and create an account.

3. Login and apply

Once you have created an account. You should have a username and password to login and apply at any time

Program website

The official website for the World Health Organisation Internship Programme is www.careers.who.int/careersection