Purpose of consultancy
The Research, Ethics and Innovation Unit (REI) under the Data, Strategy and Innovation (DSI) Division at WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) is seeking a consultant to provide technical support on the team’s projects and activities in responsible AI adoption in health.
Background
The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO), through its “Weaving Health for All” vision, positions technology and innovation as a central pillar for advancing future health equity. This vision fosters collaboration between WPRO and WHO Member States to shape population health across the region. At the heart of this approach lies a single guiding principle: equity. During the 76th session of the Regional Committee Meeting of the Western Pacific in October 2025, WHO and Member States reaffirmed their shared commitment to leveraging innovation for health equity and harnessing AI to transform health systems. Three strategic priorities were highlighted: identify and prioritize high-impact cases of AI use for health equity, especially where AI can extend reach or leapfrog constraints, strengthen public sector capacity for responsible AI adoption, including workforce, coordination, and procurement functions, and strengthen ecosystem for governance, ethical oversight, regulatory readiness, and evaluation to accelerate responsible adoption and implementation.
To act on the three identified priorities and accelerate Member States’ journey in AI adoption in a safe and responsible manner, REI has planned activities to provide guidance to Member States in adopting a risk-proportionate approach. The incumbent will be working with the team, under supervision and day-to-day guidance by the technical lead.
Deliverables
The consultant is assigned to produce the following:
Output 1: Regional Guidance on minimum ecosystem for responsible health AI adoption
Deliverable 1.1: Assist data collection, expert consultation, and landscape analysis to summarize current AI governance models and maturity across Member States in the Western Pacific.
Deliverable 1.2: Identify and compile publicly available national policies, laws, strategies, and guidelines related to artificial intelligence in a defined set of Western Pacific Member States.
Deliverable 1.3: Prepare structured country dossiers summarizing policy scope, governance arrangements, and treatment of ethical considerations for AI for health.
Output 2: AI agenda session at the 77th Session of the Regional Committee
Deliverable 2.1: Conduct quantitative and qualitative research and contribute to the development of the technical paper
Deliverable 2.2: Support the preparation and organization of stakeholder meetings contributing to the successful organization of the AI agenda session at RC77
Output 3: Country support toolkit
Deliverable 3.1: Assist the development of thematic briefs (approximately 3–5 pages each) on selected priority issues in AI ethics and governance for health (e.g. lifecycle ethical, legal and social implications; bias identification and mitigation; explainable AI).
Deliverable 3.2: Assist drafting technical briefing materials (e.g. briefing notes, presentations, concept notes) synthesizing key findings to inform internal WHO discussions, Member State consultations, and regional expert consultation meetings
Method(s) to carry out the activity
Work will include:
Qualifications, experience, skills and languages
Educational Qualifications:
Essential: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as public health, epidemiology, health sciences, public policy, technology management, or a related discipline from a recognized institution.
Experience
Essential: Minimum of two years of experience in ethics and law at international level.
Desirable: Experience working with WHO, other United Nations agencies, or major international organizations in the field of health research, ethics, or innovation.
Skills/Knowledge
Languages and level required:
Expert knowledge of English
Location
Off site: Home-based
Travel
The consultant is not expected to travel
Duraiton: 6 months, March to September 2026
DEADLINE: Feb 13, 2026, 6:59:00 AM
