International Consultant - Health Economist and Financing Specialist (Climate Change & Health)

The World Health Organization’s Division of Pacific Technical Support (WHO-DPS) is seeking a qualified consultant with expertise in health economics, financing, investment, and strategic policy communication to support the development of a Pacific Climate and Health Investment Brief under the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) led Pacific Climate and Health Resilience Package (PCHRP).

Climate change poses a significant and growing threat to health systems and population health across Pacific Island Countries (PICs). The Pacific region is experiencing increasing climate-sensitive health risks, including vector-borne diseases, water and food-borne illnesses, malnutrition, heat-related illness, mental health impacts, and the health consequences of extreme weather events and sea-level rise. These risks also place growing pressure on health systems, infrastructure, health financing, and service delivery.

In March 2026, WHO-DPS delivered a regional stocktake of climate and health policy action in the Pacific under its funding agreement with the Australian CDC, as a regional delivery partner for the Pacific Climate and Health Resilience Package. The long form stock-take report provides a comprehensive evidence, based on the status of climate and health action, institutional arrangements, policy progress, financing challenges, and priority gaps across the region.

To maximize the impact and usability of the findings, WHO-DPS, the Australian CDC, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) agreed to translate the stocktake findings into a suite of targeted knowledge products tailored for key audiences. One of the key outputs is a Pacific Climate and Health Investment Brief of up to 15 pages that will present a compelling investment rationale for investing in climate-resilient health systems in the Pacific, identifying and costing priority investment areas, tailoring messaging to governments, development partners, climate finance entities, and donors, to support investment prioritization for climate and health.

The consultant will translate technical economic and financing information into a clear, policy-oriented and investment focused product, tailored to governments, development partners, and climate finance stakeholders. The role requires a combination of strong analytical capability, understanding of climate and health financing, and the ability to communicate complex economic and investment/financing concepts and evidence through accessible investment narratives, policy briefs, and strategic recommendations.

Regional Climate and Health Investment Brief:

1. Undertake a rapid desk review of economic data and evidence related to economic costs of climate-sensitive health risks and economic benefits of investing in climate-resilient health systems in the Pacific, drawing from evidence outside of the Pacific if it is found that Pacific specific data and evidence may be limited in specific aspects. Extracting data and evidence on the following areas would be beneficial:

   • Economic burden of climate-sensitive health outcomes and health system impacts, including economic Loss and damage related to climate change,

   • Costs of inaction versus economic benefits of adaptation,

   • Cost-effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of adaptation interventions.

2. Review key Pacific climate and health documents to identify commonly prioritized climate change and health adaptation options at regional level and country level, and identify and review existing cost estimates and finance provisions for health adaptation interventions, including but not limited to the following documents:

   • Pacific Climate and Health Stocktake Report

   • Health National Adaptation Plans (HNAPs)

   • National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

   • Pacific Network for Health and Climate Change Action Plan (2026–2028)

3. Develop indicative costings of priority investment areas for climate-resilient health systems, including scalable and high-impact interventions, drawing from Step 2.
    

4. Conduct a rapid financing landscape analysis, focusing on the Pacific, which may include:

   • Existing climate and health financing flows and mechanisms,

   • Financing gaps and unmet needs,

   • Potential financing opportunities and pathways,

   • Opportunities for co-financing and blended finance, and

   • Entry points for regional proposals and investment approaches.

5. Develop a concise, policy-oriented and donor-ready Pacific Climate and Health Investment Brief that:

   • Presents a compelling investment rationale for climate-resilient health systems,

   • Clearly communicates economic findings and financing opportunities,

   • Tailors messaging to governments, development partners, climate finance entities, and donors, and

   • Supports policy uptake, strategic planning, and investment prioritization.
      

6. Develop any supporting technical annexes and costing guidance notes, as required.

The specific outputs under this consultancy include: 

Output 1: Pacific Climate Change and Health Investment Brief.

• Deliverable 1.1: Submit a brief workplan outlining methodology and analytical approach, proposed timelines, key documents and datasets to be reviewed, and a proposed annotated structure outline for the investment brief.
• Deliverable 1.2: Submit a draft investment brief of up to 15 pages, excluding any annexes, including:
  • Executive summary,
  • Regional climate and health context and risks,
  • Economic case for action and investment narrative,
  • Priority investment areas, with indicative costings
  • Financing landscape and opportunities,
  • Recommendations and strategic entry points, and
  • Technical annexes and costing guidance, where required.

The draft brief should present complex economic evidence in a clear, accessible, and policy-oriented format suitable for donor and decision-maker audiences.

• Deliverable 1.3: Submit a final draft of the regional investment brief, following up to 3 rounds of revisions to incorporate feedback from WHO and Australian CDC, in a template provided to the consultant.

Essential: 

• University degree in health economics, public health, environmental economics, development economics, or a related field.

Desirable: 

• Advanced university degree (master’s), with specialization or additional training in climate finance, climate policy, health financing, public policy, or sustainable development.

Essential: 

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in health economics, economic analysis, health financing, or related fields, with demonstrated experience developing policy briefs, donor briefs, investment cases, or strategic financing documents.

Desirable:

• Experience communicating complex technical and economic findings to non-technical audiences, including policymakers and donors and familiarity with climate finance mechanisms and adaptation financing.

• Ability to synthesize technical evidence into concise and compelling policy narratives.
• Strong analytical, report writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple deliverables within tight timelines
• Knowledge of economic evaluation methodologies, including cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and return on investment analysis.
• Understanding of climate change and health issues, particularly in vulnerable and resource-constrained settings is an asset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and analytical tools.
   

Essential: Fluency in the English Language.

• Communicating in a credible and effective way
• Producing results 
• Fostering integration and teamwork

• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

The consultant will be based off-site.

• Remuneration: The remuneration for this international consultancy is estimated to be in the range of USD 350 to USD499 per day (Band B), subject to qualifications and experience.
• Expected duration of contract: 25 working days, spread over 2 months from 15 June 2026 to 14 August 2026 (subject to completion of recruitment and selection formalities).

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