Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to WHO’s technical work envisaged for developing the strategy roadmap to prevent fracture and fracture risk among older persons. 

Contractual Arrangement: External consultant

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 9 months

Job Posting : Apr 5, 2023, 11:16:42 AM

Closing Date : Apr 19, 2023, 11:59:00 PM

Primary Location : Anywhere

Organization : HQ/AAH Ageing and Health

Schedule : Full-time

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Background  

The world is undergoing many changes and facing many health challenges. We experience the impact of climate change and conflict while we at the same time are plagued by emerging infectious diseases, and anti-microbial resistance might reduce our ability to fight them.

At the same time, the population is ageing worldwide. Today, there are 1.4 billion older persons, which is expected to double by 2050.  And it is older people - who are the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, conflict, infectious diseases and AMR. 

Older people are also at the highest risk of fractures compared to other population groups. Global data suggests that 178 million new fractures were reported in 2019, an increase of 33 per cent since 1990. And 26 million years of healthy life were compromised due to fractures, an increase of 65 per cent since 1990. It is important to recognize that these epidemiological trends have a significant impact on the health of older people as well as on health systems, their workforce, and budgets. Preventing fractures and fracture risk is therefore vital for promoting healthy ageing and must be our collective priority and responsibility. 

To this end, the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO aims: 

• To develop global estimates on fracture and osteoporosis;
• To review evidence-based interventions to prevent fractures;
• To create an economic model for an investment case in fracture prevention and care;
• To provide guidance to countries on strengthening health information systems by integrating osteoporosis and fractures in routine data monitoring; and
• To provide guidance to countries on using data to design evidence-informed policies and programmes.