Purpose of consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical leadership and coordination to the NDoH in developing PNG’s first National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis (2027–2032) that is evidence-based, context-specific, aligned with WHO normative guidance and national health strategies, inclusive of all key stakeholders, and costed and implementable.

The assignment objectives are to:

Conduct a situational assessment of viral hepatitis in PNG, including epidemiology, existing interventions, vaccination coverage, diagnostic capacity, and the treatment and supply landscape, and identify key data gaps and surveillance needs.
Establish and convene a national Viral Hepatitis Working Group and facilitate stakeholder consultations to agree on the vision, goals, objectives, and priority interventions.
Develop a costed Five-Year National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis aligned with current WHO recommendations and the global hepatitis elimination agenda.
Propose a costed operational and implementation plan with annual milestones, a resource mobilization strategy, and a monitoring and evaluation framework with indicators, targets, data sources, and responsible agencies.
Facilitate the validation and finalization of the strategic plan through consultations with relevant stakeholders and support its endorsement and dissemination.
Support the WHO Country Office in providing technical assistance in the area of viral hepatitis as needed and submit a report at the end of the assignment along with the expected deliverables.

Background

Viral hepatitis is an important but largely under-addressed public health issue in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Available information suggests that hepatitis B is endemic in the country, with older blood-donor studies reporting hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence in the range of 15–24%, but national data remain very limited and fragmented, and data on hepatitis C and hepatitis D are virtually absent. Most available information comes from older studies and limited blood bank data, and there is no comprehensive national hepatitis surveillance system, no national registry, and no current national strategic plan to guide the response.

At present, there is no defined hepatitis programme being implemented at scale in PNG. Testing and treatment services are limited, there is low awareness among health workers and communities, and access to hepatitis medicines is not systematically organized through a national programme. As a result, PNG is starting almost from scratch in developing a structured public health response for viral hepatitis.

The National Department of Health (NDoH), with technical support from the WHO, intends to develop PNG’s first five-year National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis (2027–2032) to guide the country in establishing the foundations for prevention, testing, treatment, care, surveillance, and access to new anti-hepatitis medicines. The plan will be costed and evidence-based and will align PNG’s response with the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy and the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

An international consultant will be engaged to provide technical leadership and coordination for the development of the National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis through a consultative, evidence-based, and country-focused process.

Deliverables

In collaboration with the NDoH and WHO, the consultant will carry out the assignment through the following approaches:

Output 1: Situational assessment and consultation foundation for the National Strategic Plan (Days 1–11)
Deliverable 1.1: Inception report with the consultancy work plan, approaches, and methodologies to carry out the assignment. (Days 1–3)
Deliverable 1.2: Situational analysis report summarizing the epidemiology of viral hepatitis, existing programmes, the diagnostic and treatment landscape, supply chain, key data gaps, and opportunities. (Days 4–8)
Deliverable 1.3: Stakeholder consultation report documenting the establishment of the national Viral Hepatitis Working Group and the agreed vision, goals, and strategic priorities. (Days 9–11)

Output 2: Draft National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis (2027–2031) with supporting documents (Days 12–18)
Deliverable 2.1: First draft of the Five-Year National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis (2027–2031), circulated to stakeholders for comments, including vision, mission, goals, SMART objectives, and priority strategies across the six strategic areas. (Days 12–18)
Deliverable 2.2: Draft costed operational and implementation plan with annual milestones, resource requirements, and potential funding sources. (Days 12–18)
Deliverable 2.3: Draft monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework with indicators, targets, data sources, and responsible agencies. (Days 12–18)

Output 3: Finalized National Strategic Plan endorsed by stakeholders (Days 19–25)
Deliverable 3.1: Final draft of the costed National Strategic Plan, revised based on stakeholder feedback, including the detailed costing and resource mobilization plan (with budgets for procuring tenofovir/entecavir for HBV and pangenotypic DAAs for HCV, and for surveillance and training) and the M&E framework. (Days 19–22)
Deliverable 3.2: Finalized National Strategic Plan with executive summary and presentation slides for endorsement by the National Health Board. (Days 23–25)
Deliverable 3.3: Dissemination and advocacy materials, with support for the launch event and an outline of next steps for annual operational planning. (Days 23–25)

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: An advanced university degree in Medicine (MD, MBBS), Public Health, Health Policy, or a related field.

Experience

Essential: At least 7 years of work experience in public health programme planning or communicable disease programme management at international level; experience in the development or revision of national strategies, guidelines, policies, or technical documents; and experience working with a National Department of Health and multiple stakeholders. Previous experience working on hepatitis strategic planning is an asset.
Desirable: Previous working experience on HIV, STI, EMTCT, or other public health strategic planning in a developing country context.

Skills/Knowledge:

Strong technical knowledge of public health strategic planning, programme design, and monitoring.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various stakeholders.
Excellent analytical, planning, and organizational skills.
Ability to work in a team with limited supervision.

Languages

Expert knowledge of English is essential.

Location

WHO Country Office in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in collaboration with the National Department of Health. The consultant will work on site at Port Moresby and may be required to travel within and outside Port Moresby as necessary.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget

Remuneration: Payband level B, USD 499 (daily)
Expected duration of contract: August to September 2026, paid at 25 days

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Consultant - Development of the National Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis, Papua New Guinea