Risk Stratified Analyses - (2300600)

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Purpose of consultancy

To provide technical expertise to analyse pooled datasets of individual data to identify risks of mortality and impaired childhood development. 

Background 

The impact of birth weight, morbidity and undernutrition on newborn and child mortality are recognized. Numerous analyses have quantified the additional risks for adverse survival and growth outcomes that are associated with low birth weight, diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia, underweight, wasting and stunting. These analyses have commonly examined risks associated with individual anthropometric deficits or specific morbidity but have not estimated interactions between these risk exposures nor the impact of cumulative risks.

Risk stratification is integral to the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) and Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) – green (low risk), yellow (moderate risk) and pink (severe risk) classification and treatment care pathways - and management approaches of children with complicated or uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition. Recent evidence highlights the importance of gestational age and birth weight on growth deficits in the first six months of life and also the influence of specific clinical factors on mortality of young children in the weeks following discharge from hospital. A greater understanding of these differential risks may provide opportunities to further reduce mortality and improve growth and development of infants and children.

WHO aims to coordinate two meta-analyses to examine individual and cumulative risks for all-cause mortality, and impaired growth or development in newborns and children. 

• The first will include datasets that have gestational age and birth weight data in addition to serial growth, morbidity and vital status outcomes of infants over the first 12 months of life.
• The second set of analyses will include datasets that have serial growth and morbidity data and will examine growth, development and vital status outcomes over the first nine years of life.

The Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (MCA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks to establish a roster of consultants to provide technical expertise to analyze pooled datasets of individual data to identify risks of mortality and impaired childhood development. 

Deliverables: 

Specific deliverables will be pre-defined for each consultancy.   The consultant is expected to perform a variety of tasks, including but not limited to the following:

• Provide technical expertise to ensure integrity of the pooled datasets including documentation of source datasets, analysis of source variables including their case definitions and frequency of collection, characterizing missing data points, harmonizing and creating new variables as needed plus other tasks related to high quality data management.
• Develop a detailed analysis plan to achieve the aims of the project recognizing the data available in the pooled dataset.
• Contribute to the overall implementation of the analyses.
• Prepare reports including PowerPoint presentations of the pooled analyses as per the analysis plan.
• Prepare and review essential documentation including manuscripts for external peer-reviewed journals.

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree in Statistics or Epidemiology.

Desirable:

• Qualification in public health or nutrition.

Experience

Essential:

• Over 10 years’ relevant experience in statistical analyses of child health outcomes. 
• Substantive experience in child growth outcomes and child survival interventions implemented in low resource settings.

Desirable:

• Experience in analyzing growth velocities.

Skills

• Knowledge of the WHO Growth Reference Standards. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and programme management skills.
• Proven capacity to develop presentations to inform policy and programme actions.
• Ability to function effectively in team settings in multi-stakeholder and cross-cultural environments.
• Ability to function effectively under pressure and respond effectively in short timelines.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Location 

Off-site: Home based. 

Travel 

The consultant is not expected to travel. 

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level C-USD 10,000 – 12,500 per month.