PAHO Consultant - Household Air Pollution and Roadmap Implementation

OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Contractual Agreement:

Non-Staff - International PAHO Consultant

Job Posting:

September 10, 2026

Closing Date:

October 6, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location:

Off Site

Organization:

DHE Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity

Schedule:

Part time

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY

Air pollution remains a major environmental and public health challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean. The PAHO Roadmap for Action on Air Quality and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean 2026–2031 estimates that approximately 370,000 premature deaths each year are attributable to ambient and household air pollution, while approximately 74 million people continue to rely on polluting fuels for cooking and heating. Household air pollution disproportionately affects women, children, rural populations, Indigenous Peoples, and low-income communities, making the transition to clean household energy an important public health and equity priority.
Following the Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health held in Cartagena, Colombia, and the adoption of the WHO Updated Roadmap for an Enhanced Global Response to the Adverse Health Effects of Air Pollution, PAHO worked with Member States to develop the Regional Roadmap on Air Quality and Health. The Roadmap aligns with the global voluntary target to reduce mortality attributable to anthropogenic air pollution by 50% by 2040. Under Strategic Objective 3, the Roadmap calls for support to clean cooking and energy transition strategies and for development and implementation of the Framework for Validation of the Elimination of the Use of Polluting Fuels for Cooking, linked to PAHO’s Disease Elimination Initiative.
This consultancy will provide technical and operational support for implementation of the household air pollution components of the Regional Roadmap and the Elimination Initiative, with emphasis on compilation and organization of country information, preparation of practical technical materials, support to country technical cooperation, and monitoring of household air pollution and clean cooking indicators. The Air Quality and Health Advisor in the Unit of Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health will coordinate the consultancy.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Description of Deliverables:
The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following products/services with guidance and input from the respective project manager:

1.  Regional household air pollution baseline and country prioritization matrix. Compile and organize the latest available country-level information on reliance on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, relevant clean cooking policies and programs, and institutional arrangements. Analyze differences between WHO information and other sources, including data published at the national level.  Prepare a regional matrix identifying countries where household air pollution remains a significant concern, available data sources, status of clean cooking or energy transition strategies, and opportunities for PAHO technical cooperation. Include a brief regional summary of findings and a proposed list of priority countries for engagement.
2.  Regional technical cooperation package for HAP and clean household energy. Prepare a technical cooperation package integrating Roadmap objectives, country baseline assessments, WHO tools including the Clean Household Energy Solutions Toolkit (CHEST) -https://www.who.int/tools/clean-household-energy-solutions-toolkit, the Elimination Initiative criteria, best practices according to country needs and baseline conditions, funding and implementation partners, and lessons from implementation in selected Member States in which the consultant will participate
3.  Household air pollution and Roadmap implementation monitoring tracker. Develop and maintain a tracker to document progress in PAHO technical cooperation related to household air pollution. The tracker should include status of country engagement, implementation of Roadmap Action 3.1, progress related to the Elimination Initiative, available information for the indicator on countries implementing clean cooking/energy transition strategies, the regional outcome indicator on primary reliance on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, technical assistance requests, key activities, data sources, identified data gaps, pending actions, implementation gaps, and follow-up priorities.
4.  Implementation report and forward workplan. Prepare a consolidated report summarizing technical cooperation provided to countries, progress in implementation of the elimination criteria, updates to household air pollution and clean cooking indicators, key achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. The report should include recommendations for the next implementation period, a proposed 12-month country-support pipeline and workplan, and the final updated monitoring track.

Schedule of Payments

Product 1

Regional household air pollution baseline and country prioritization matrix

1.5 months after contract signature

USD 6,034

Product 2

Regional technical cooperation package for HAP and clean household energy.

2.5 months after contract signature

USD 3,020

Product 3

Household air pollution and Roadmap implementation monitoring tracker.

4.5 months after contract signature

USD 6,035

Product 4

Implementation report and forward workplan.

6 months after contract signature

USD 5,035

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Education:

•  Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental health, public health, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, energy, sustainable development, international development, or another field related to household air pollution, clean household energy, or environmental determinants of health.

Experience:

•  Over 7 years of relevant professional experience in environmental health, household air pollution, clean cooking or household energy, air quality, climate and health, or a related field.

•  Experience compiling, organizing, and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information and preparing technical documents, country profiles, matrices, or reports.

•  Experience supporting implementation of projects or technical cooperation activities involving government institutions or other stakeholders.

•  Experience supporting meetings, capacity-building activities, or follow-up with national or subnational counterparts.

•  Experience working in Latin America and the Caribbean and/or with international organizations is desirable.

•  Familiarity with WHO/PAHO guidance on household air pollution, clean household energy, the Clean Household Energy Solutions Toolkit (CHEST), or PAHO’s Disease Elimination Initiative is desirable.

Technical knowledge/skills:

•  Knowledge of the health effects of household air pollution and the public health benefits of transition to clean household energy.

•  Ability to compile information from multiple sources, work with spreadsheets and datasets, and summarize findings clearly for technical and policy audiences.

•  Good organizational skills and demonstrated ability to follow up on multiple country activities and deliver products according to agreed timelines.

•  Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary and multicultural teams and to communicate effectively with technical counterparts.

•  Demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Outlook; working knowledge of digital and AI tools is an asset.

Language and level required:

Language

Level required

English: Working Knowledge

Spanish: Working Knowledge

Remuneration (Band level Range) and expected duration of contract:

Duration: Six months

Estimated time dedicated to consultancy: 26 hours per week.

Remuneration: $20,124

Band Range: Band B

Daily rate: $167 (partial time)

Location: Off-site

Relocation Required: No

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables.  Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection for a consultant contract.  There is no commitment on either side.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• All applicants are required to complete an on-line profile to be considered for this consultancy. For assessment of your application, please ensure that your profile in the PAHO Career page is updated; all experience records are entered with elaboration on tasks performed at the time.  Kindly note that CV/PHFs inserted via LinkedIn are no accessible.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. PAHO/WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. PAHO will also use the databases of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp and College Navigator, found on the website of the National Centre for Educational Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to support the validation process. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to PAHO/WHO Regulations, and e-Manual.
• For information on PAHO please visit: http://www.paho.org
• PAHO/WHO is committed to providing a respectful and supportive workplace for all personnel .
• PAHO is an ethical organization that maintains high standards of integrity and accountability. People joining PAHO are required to maintain these standards both in their professional work and personal activities.
• PAHO also promotes a work environment that is free from harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and other types of abusive behavior. PAHO conducts background checks and will not hire anyone who has a substantiated history of abusive conduct.
• PAHO personnel interact frequently with people in the communities we serve. To protect these people, PAHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. People who commit serious wrongdoings will be terminated and may also face criminal prosecution.
• PAHO/WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.  The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between PAHO and the Consultant.
• PAHO/WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant.  The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by PAHO/WHO.