Open Call for Experts for PAHO’s Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction. This “Call for Experts” provides information about the Strategic Advisory Group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Issued on: 4 April 2024

Deadline: 17 May 2024

Background

In the Region of the Americas, approximately 9,000 women die each year from complications in pregnancy, during childbirth, and in the postpartum period.  Since 2000 the annual maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in the Americas had been declining slowly and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the precariousness of the achievements made in improving maternal health outcomes. The pandemic caused significant disruptions in access to antenatal care and sexual and reproductive health services and resulted in a twenty-year setback in MMR figures for the Region. With the current trends in MMR, the Americas is not on track to achieve the targets established in global and regional commitments in maternal health and urgent action is needed to prevent further setbacks.

The situation of maternal health in the Region is complex and maternal mortality is related to the degree of social development and to structural factors. The Region is one of the most inequitable in the world, and women who live in poverty, in more remote areas, with a lower level of education, are indigenous, Afro-descendant, migrants, and in situations of gender-based violence are more likely to die in childbirth.

Maternal mortality also has a high social impact. For example, it has been documented that children who lose their mother at birth are at greater risk of dying before the age of two years, dropping out of school, suffering from malnutrition and domestic violence, having early pregnancies, or engaging in child labor, thus prolonging the cycle of poverty. At the same time, it is recognized that a high proportion of maternal mortality could be avoided with the knowledge and technology already available in the Americas. 


Regional efforts in maternal health are guided by the PAHO Strategic Plan (2020-2025), the Sustainable Health Agenda (2018-2030), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Global Strategy to End Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM).  The EPMM targets all countries to reduce their MMR by at least two thirds of their 2010 baseline level by 2030. In 2018, PAHO Member States endorsed the Resolution (CD56/8, Rev. 1) of the PAHO 56th Directing Council, Plan of Action for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health (2018-2030), that includes a target to reduce the regional MMR to 30 or fewer maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

The Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) on Maternal Mortality will provide strategic guidance to the Organization to advance the achievement and maintenance of regional goals related to maternal health.

Functions of the Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction

In its capacity as an advisory body to PAHO, the SAG shall have the following functions:

  1. To provide a review of the strategic, scientific, and technical aspects related to maternal health and recommend priorities to PAHO.
  2. To provide guidance on the implementation of global and regional strategies and plans related to maternal health.
  3. To advise on the mechanisms to facilitate intersectoral and interprogrammatic work in maternal health to inform the development of effective guidance and interventions for Member States.
  4. To provide guidance on the optimal strategies and approaches to reach PAHO’s goals to support maternal health, with a focus on equity.
  5. To provide recommendations on the operational research and approaches required for effective   surveillance and response, to meet regional goals and targets.
  6. To advise the identification of opportunities for resource mobilization and generating innovative approaches to broaden the range of potential donors and supporters.
  7. To provide recommendations on the appropriate corrective/mitigation measures to facilitate the on-track implementation and achievement of targets.

Operations of the Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction

The SAG shall normally meet at least twice each year, with one in-person meeting and one virtual meeting with the working languages being English and Spanish. However, PAHO may convene additional meetings. SAG meetings may be held in person (at PAHO headquarters in or another location, as determined by PAHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.

Who can express interest?

The Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills, and experience relevant to Public Health/Maternal Health/Sexual and Reproductive Health, Gender, Social Determinants. Approximately 15 members may be selected.

PAHO welcomes expressions of interest from:

  • Scientists, healthcare professionals, and civil society groups and networks, professional groups and/or patient groups with expertise the following areas:
    • Health systems and program delivery
    • Maternal health especially in low and middle-income countries
    • Sexual and reproductive health in low and middle-income countries
    • Ethics, equity, human rights, ethnicity, gender in public health.

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction, please submit the following documents by May 17, 11:59pm, Washington, D.C. time to demuciob@paho.org and serruyas@paho.org  using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic Advisory Group on Maternal Mortality Reduction”:

  • A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer;
  • Your curriculum vitae; and
  • A signed and completed Declaration of Interests form for PAHO/WHO Experts (PDF, 279.47KB).

After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by PAHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.

Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment

Members of PAHO SAGs must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the PAHO Declaration of Interests for PAHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a SAG is, amongst other things, dependent on PAHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to PAHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).

All SAG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions, or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for PAHO Experts. SAG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.

At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and PAHO’s Secretariat to enable PAHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant SAG. The selection of members of the SAGs will be made by PAHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of SAG members will also take into account the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.

If selected by PAHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter. Appointment as a member of a SAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to PAHO the countersigned copy of this document, as well as the Declaration of Interests Form and the confidentiality undertaking mentioned above.

PAHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for PAHO's action. PAHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the SAG, disband an existing SAG or modify the work of the SAG.

PAHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.

PAHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the PAHO internet.

SAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the SAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of SAG members to participate in SAG meetings will be covered by PAHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules, and procedures.

The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.

If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to demuciob@paho.org and serruyas@paho.org  well before the applicable deadline.